Teen shot, killed 5 people across Chicago’s Southwest Side in 2020, police say
Teen linked to five murders across Chicago, police say
Antonio Reyes, now 21, was charged in connection with five fatal shootings, among other alleged violent crimes.
CHICAGO - Chicago police detailed the charges against a man accused of multiple fatal shootings in 2020 when he was a teenager, as well as four other attempted murders.
Antonio Reyes, 21, was arrested at the Cook County Jail on Tuesday in connection with the series of fatal shootings on Chicago's Southwest Side, police said.
Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling gathered with Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke to formally announce the charges on Wednesday morning.
Antonio Reyes
Multiple fatal shootings
What we know:
Reyes was formally charged with five counts of first-degree murder and four counts of attempted first-degree murder.
He was denied bond. Reyes was 17-years-old when the fatal shootings took place, police said.
Snelling detailed the victims in each of the cases:
- 31-year-old man in the 2600 block of West 59th Street in Gage Park on March 2, 2020
- 21-year-old man in the 4100 block of South Sacramento Avenue in Brighton Park on April 5, 2020
- 16-year-old boy in the 5200 block of South Homan Avenue in Gage Park on May 1, 2020
- 31-year-old man in the 5400 block of South Homan Avenue in Gage Park on Nov. 8, 2020
- 20-year-old man in the 4700 block of West 59th Street in Clearing on Nov. 9, 2020
Officials said the shooting on Nov. 8, 2020, also involved the attempted murder of three other victims, who were children between the ages of 3 and 9 years of age who were in a car with the adult victim. Snelling said the victims faced a "barrage of bullets." Burke said the family was on their way to purchase a puppy.
"This speaks to the level of disregard this offender had toward human life," Snelling said. "It’s difficult to comprehend how anyone could take someone’s life, and especially so many in one year."
Detectives were able to trace a 40-caliber handgun used in one of the shootings to other crime scenes, which helped lead to Reyes' arrest. Police also said the suspect's social media footprint was "fairly significant," although they did not go into detail.
Authorities said they do not believe the victims knew Reyes, nor was there any apparent reason Reyes would have targeted them. There was also no apparent connection between the victims, police said.
Reyes has already been behind bars in the Cook County Jail on another murder charge related to the death of a 20-year-old man in the 4700 block of West 59th Street on Nov. 9, 2020. He was originally booked into the jail on Oct. 27, 2021.
Burke also said Reyes allegedly attacked his cellmate in jail with a shank. He was awaiting charges in that incident.
What's next:
Reyes is scheduled to appear in court again on March 25.