Chicago man allegedly shot mother of his 8-year-old child during argument, killing her unborn baby
Melvin Richmond, 30
CHICAGO - New details were released after a man was charged with shooting the mother of his child through the door of her residence last month, which resulted in the death of her unborn child.
Melvin Richmond, 30, faces one felony count of attempted first-degree murder, one felony count of aggravated battery/ discharge of a weapon and one felony count of involuntary manslaughter of an unborn child.
According to prosecutors, Richmond and the victim, a 30-year-old woman, have an 8-year-old child together. The victim is currently engaged to another person and was 14 weeks pregnant with her fiancé’s child at the time of the shooting.
According to a proffer read in court Friday, Richmond took his and the victim's child to a Christmas party on Dec. 26.
At about 2:40 a.m., Melvin was driving the child back to the victim's house in East Garfield Park, and during the ride, Richmond pocket-dialed the victim, prosecutors said.
The victim could allegedly hear Richmond being rude to their child.
During the car ride, prosecutors said the child saw the offender armed with a black firearm with a laser attachment both in his hand and on the dashboard of the vehicle.
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Richmond then dropped off the child at the victim's home, and she entered through the back door.
The victim's fiancé and the victim's younger son and nephews were also in the home at that time.
The 8-year-old child told the victim that Richmond yelled at her, so she called him on the phone, and they got into a verbal argument, prosecutors said.
Within a few minutes, the victim heard a loud banging on her front door and heard Richmond yelling and referencing the argument that they just had on the phone, prosecutors said.
Richmond then allegedly tried to kick in the door and the victim used her back to push against his blows to the door.
The victim's fiancé and child were in the living room with the victim at this point.
Richmond and the victim were yelling at each other through the front door when Richmond allegedly fired multiple shots through the front door, striking the victim in her left flank, right lower thigh and back.
Richmond fled the residence and fired additional rounds at the victim's fiance's unoccupied vehicle that was parked across the street from the residence, prosecutors said.
The vehicle suffered damage to the passenger side doors.
Emergency personnel arrived and transported her to an area hospital, where she underwent surgery to her bowel, colon and removal of her gallbladder.
As a result of the trauma the victim sustained, she suffered a miscarriage, prosecutors said.
Three 9mm shell spent casings were recovered outside the victim's door and seven more 9mm shell casings and one fragment were recovered in the area of the victim's fiancé's vehicle, prosecutors said. The victim also positively identified Richmond as the shooter.
Richmond is being held without bail.