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For 18 years, everything has been going Steve’s way. He’s a smart and warmhearted young man with wonderful parents, terrific friends, fantastic teachers and a future so bright he really does have to wear shades.

And then, in the span of maybe five minutes, it all falls apart. There’s a man lying dead on the floor of his own store, and Steve is accused of being part of the chain of events that led to this tragedy. Now it’s up to the courts and a jury to decide his fate.

The still-timely and provocative crime procedural “Monster” has lingered in movie limbo since premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018 but is now finally seeing the light of day thanks to — you guessed it — Netflix. Based on the popular and acclaimed 1999 book by Walter Dean Myers and adapted with style and a keen sense of pacing by music video and commercial director Anthony Mandler, “Monster” is a cautionary tale about a good kid who gets caught up with the wrong people at the wrong time and sees that bright future fading into the abyss — because even though he maintains he’s innocent, he’s a Black teenager accused of being an accessory to a deadly crime in the New York City of the 21^st century, and the wheels of justice are not calibrated to grind in his favor.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. turns in an empathetic and nuanced performance as Steve Harmon, who lives in a comfortable townhouse in Harlem with his loving and supportive parents (Jennifer Hudson and Jeffrey Wright, both terrific), attends a top-tier high school and has ambitions of becoming a filmmaker. (Hence the camera he carries practically every waking moment.) Steve does his best to keep to himself as he rides his bicycle through the neighborhood, avoiding contact as much as he can with the local gang-bangers and drug dealers lurking on the corners. But late one night, the Harmons’ idyllic existence is shattered when the police show up at their door and arrest Steve in connection with a robbery at a local bodega that resulted in the murder of the store’s owner.

Director Mandler and cinematographer David Devlin nimbly switch filters to reflect various stops along the timeline. At times Steve’s neighborhood looks glorious and sun-dappled and we feel his life is filled with promise; but when we’re in the courtroom or with Steve in jail, the lighting is harsh and bleak and unforgiving. “Monster” features a number of stellar supporting performances, including Jennifer Ehle as Steve’s attorney, who is sympathetic to his case but tells him the odds are stacked against him (“You are young, black and on trial”); Tim Blake Nelson as a teacher who believes Steve is innocent and has tremendous potential; the rapper Nas as the obligatory longtime inmate who becomes a mentor to Steve in jail. and Rakim Mayers a.k.a. A$AP Rocky and John David Washington as the local bad guys who try to recruit Steve as a lookout for the robbery. (We eventually find out exactly what role Steve played — or didn’t play — in the crime, and I’ll leave it at that.) This is an A-list cast that consistently elevates the material, even when we’re traveling down some very familiar roads.

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A 12-year-old boy was “fighting for his life” after he was wounded in a shooting Thursday night on the South Side, a community activist said.

Shortly before 7 p.m., the boy was shot in the chest inside a home in the 3500 block of South Rhodes, Chicago police said.

He was rushed to Comer Children’s Hospital and listed in critical condition, according to police and Chicago Fire Department officials.

The boy was shot by another child who was playing with a handgun and accidentally fired it, police said.

The child fled and the handgun was recovered at the scene, according to police.

Family members gathered outside Comer declined to comment or provide information about the boy who was shot.

Community activist Andrew Holmes told the Chicago Sun-Times that his condition was stabilized but he was still “fighting for his life.” Holmes said it’s unclear whether the boy was intentionally shot or wounded in an accidental discharge, as one person at the scene claimed.

“We’re just praying for his healing and his recovery, and that the detectives work the streets to find out who the shooter was,” said Holmes. “We’ve got a lot of upset family members [and] upset friends, and we don’t want this to turn into a retaliation, but we’re pitching and pleading for the individual to turn yourself in.”

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

The shooting happened at the T.K. Lawless Gardens, a low-income housing complex that also houses the offices of Ald. Sophia King (4^th) and state Rep. Kam Buckner.

King said she was told the boy was accidentally shot by another 12-year-old on the 22nd floor of the building.

“I think it’s a case of kids playing with a gun,” she said. “That never ends good.”

While King said it’s “very concerning” that a gun may have wound up in the hands of a child, she wants the gun owner to be held accountable.

Buckner, a Democrat whose 101^st District covers a large swath of Chicago, said he had only heard scant details about the shooting. But he acknowledged that “it’s been a rough few months over there,” noting that additional police resources had recently been deployed to the area to focus on the crime.

“That area’s been really active, even through the pandemic,” said Buckner.

Nine other children 13 years or younger have been shot so far this year, according to Sun-Times’ records. Less than two weeks ago, a 13-year-old boy and his 14-year-old cousin were both shot while walking in the South Chicago neighborhood

Of the nine children shot under 13 years old, two were killed — 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams, and 11-year-old Ny’Andrea Dyer.

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The teenager allegedly carjacked and robbed a woman Wednesday in the 10200 block of South Calhoun Avenue.

A 17-year-old boy is facing charges after allegedly carjacking a woman Wednesday in South Deering.

The teen boy was arrested after he was identified as the person who carjacked and took personal items from a 32-year-old woman by force about 4 p.m. in the 10200 block of South Calhoun Avenue, Chicago police said.

Officers arrested the boy in South Chicago, about an hour and a half after the carjacking happened, police said.

The teen was charged with one felony count each of aggravated vehicular hijacking and aggravated robbery, according to police. He was also charged with a misdemeanor for theft and was cited for possession of a replica firearm.

He was expected back in juvenile court Thursday.

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The 37-year-old employee came from behind the counter to stop a group of three males from leaving the store in the 400 block of East 95th Street without paying, when one pointed a gun at him

A gas station employee was shot Thursday night in Burnside while trying to stop a group of males from leaving the store without paying for an item.

About 8:40 p.m., the employee came from behind the counter to stop a group of three males from leaving the store in the 400 block of East 95th Street without paying when one pointed a gun at him, Chicago police said.

The employee, a 37-year-old man, grabbed the gun and pushed it toward the ground as the person fired shots, striking him three times in the leg, police said.

The group fled the scene and the employee was transported to the University of Chicago Medical center in fair condition, police said.

No one is in custody as Area Two detectives investigate.

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The win over the Hornets, to go along with the Toronto loss to Washington, still kept the Bulls four games back in the chase for a final play-in spot, but could be doing harm to the dwindling lottery odds they have left.

Much of the focus from the new Bulls regime at the start of this season was getting the likes of a Zach LaVine into position to play a “meaningful game.’’

They continued to give themselves that chance on Thursday, after getting a few All-Stars back in the starting lineup and then hammering the Hornets in Charlotte 120-99.

Center Nikola Vucevic returned from a sore hip to score 29 points and grab 14 rebounds, while LaVine played his first game since being sidelined with a positive coronavirus, scoring 13 in 27 minutes of work.

With Washington beating Toronto in overtime, the Bulls stayed within four games of the Wizards for that final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference, leaving the remaining six games meaningful to a certain extent.

The problem, however, is the most meaningful game could be one the Bulls want LaVine and Vucevic nowhere near.

Next Thursday, the Bulls host Toronto in what could be two disappointing teams wrapping up the regular season. At least on the surface.

What’s really on the line, however, is about 5%.

Following Thursday, the two teams are now separated by just a half game, with the Bulls sitting in the 11^th seed in the East and the Raptors 12^th. In lottery land, however, that puts the Bulls at No. 8 and the Raptors now at No. 7 in the loss to the Wizards.

Big deal?

It is if you no longer have a first round pick unless you land in the top four and that pick is protected.

That’s the situation the Bulls find themselves in with just six games left to play. If lottery luck gives them the cold shoulder on June 22, and they land five or higher that 2021 pick goes to Orlando as part of the Nikola Vucevic deal.

The No. 7 team has a 31.9% chance of landing in the top four, while it drops to 26.3% for the No. 8 team. When there’s two talented point guards like a Cade Cunningham and Jalen Suggs expected to go in that top four, every percentage point counts.

According to Bulls coach Billy Donovan, there have been no discussions with executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas about sitting players as of yet, but could that change by next week?

After all, the difference between missing the playoffs and still having a top four pick, as well as an All-Star in Vucevic, compared to missing the playoffs without a first-round addition from a very talented draft class is night and day.

The Bulls would only have a 7.5% chance of landing No. 1 if they could regain that seven spot, but this is an organization that defied lottery odds before, hitting on a 1.7% in 2008, landing Derrick Rose.

So while it looks like the numbers are stacked against them no matter where they finish, this is still about playing the odds.

Now try selling that to the current Bulls players, especially LaVine, after he missed 11 games in the NBA health and safety protocol.

“I mean, I’m not that type of guy,’’ LaVine said, when asked about being shutdown by his bosses at some point. “Obviously, if that conversation comes up, it won’t be coming from me.

“If that conversation comes up, it may or may not, but for me I want to go out there and play.’’

The Hornets found that out from both LaVine and Vucevic, as the one-two punch did their damage in a 34-point first quarter and a 37-point third quarter.

According to Vucevic, however, LaVine’s presence was the key.

“It was huge,’’ the big man said after the game. “Obviously we’re a much different team with Zach out there, obviously a much better team with him in the lineup.’’

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Maybe if Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert and Adam Engel were all healthy, none of the admitted mistakes Tony La Russa made in his first 29 games would be viewed as monumental.

Maybe if Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert and Adam Engel were all healthy, none of the admitted mistakes manager Tony La Russa has made in his first 29 games would be viewed as monumental.

Maybe Jimenez hits one out of the park against Sonny Gray and the Sox beat the Reds 1-0 Wednesday instead of losing 1-0 in 10 innings and La Russa doesn’t use closer Liam Hendriks needlessly and doesn’t get exposed for not knowing a rule.

Maybe good speed, no hit outfielder Billy Hamilton isn’t put in the difficult position – for him – to drive in the tying run in the 10th, an assignment La Russa allowed him to undertake. Maybe Leury Garcia, in an inexplicable decision in the view of almost everyone except La Russa doesn’t try to steal second base and get thrown out by Gold Glove catcher Tucker Barnhart, an attempt leading perplexed Sox radio voice Darrin Jackson to say on the air, “I don’t know what we’re doing out there.”

Because of the injuries, the Sox aren’t the team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf thought he was handing to La Russa to manage. And because they aren’t that team, the margin for error in the dugout has been lessened.

And so the spotlight has brightened on a Hall of Fame manager who has a growing number of people in the Sox organization wondering if he’s up to the task.

“There are a lot of things where you watch and say it’s isolated,” an organization source said of La Russa’s decisions and the latest misstep (not knowing a rule) Wednesday, “but yet it’s not. They keep happening.”

The rest of the baseball world has watched the 76-year-old La Russa guide the Sox to a 16-13 record and trailing first place Cleveland (17-13) by a half game going into a weekend series against division rival Kansas City (16-14). One division scout said it’s too soon to declare the hire a mistake on May 7. But the concerns that were immediately voiced when La Russa was hired haven’t gone away.

“There have been some obvious questions whether he has the energy and focus to really stay locked in for a whole game,” the scout said. “Not knowing the extra-inning base running rules isn’t good, but it’s not the end of the world either. Let’s see how he handles the bullpen, pinch hitting, defensive replacements, how often he mixes and matches to supplement the injury losses.”

The buck stops with La Russa and he accepted blame for not knowing the rule, but he has an entire staff including bench coach Miguel Cairo, third base coach and former bench coach Joe McEwing, former manager Jerry Narron and others who apparently didn’t know that Jose Abreu could have been the free runner at second base in the 10^th inning Wednesday instead of having $54 million closer Liam Hendriks risk an injury trying to score a tying run while running the bases for the second time in his career.

That, along with La Russa saying he didn’t know Lucas Giolito was out of gas when he was left in to let a game get away from him starts ago, admittedly leaving Matt Foster in a game too long while he took a pounding against the Mariners on the first road trip, were head scratchers. Things like batting Jake Lamb fifth, not batting Andrew Vaughn enough and giving Hamilton too many at-bats have also been disputed.

All of it has left observers wondering what happens if there is another misstep, and whether it gets to a place where Reinsdorf asks La Russa – because he has admitted mistakes — if they should reconsider the remarriage, although that quite possibly could be the furthest thing from the mind of either one. Few would expect Reinsdorf to pull the plug in La Russa’s first year back after he called letting former GM Ken Harrelson fire him in 1986 one of his biggest regrets.

La Russa is, after all, the third winningest manager in baseball history and has won three World Series. With starting pitching that leads the AL in ERA, a talented bullpen and probably enough offense to get by, the Sox aren’t going down in flames any time soon. Perhaps he needs a few more weeks to get a handle on the capabilities of his roster.

“We haven’t hit our stride yet,” the organization source said. “Is Tony going to cost us some games? I hope not.”

NOTES: The first game of the Sox doubleheader against the Royals next Friday at Guaranteed Rate Field was switched from 1:10 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. Game 2 is 7:10 p.m. with both games seven innings.

*Despite Tony La Russa’s relationship with 41-year-old future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols from their days together with the Cardinals, the Sox were not expected to sign the DH-first baseman who was released by the Angels Thursday.

*Friday starter Carlos Rodon owns a 3.69 ERA in seven career starts against the Royals. Rodon led the AL in April in ERA (0.72), average (.085), slugging percentage (.146), OPS (.348), WHIP (0.64) and hits per nine innings (2.52) over four starts.

*Veteran outfielder Brian Goodwin, signed to a minor league deal this week, was assigned to Class AAA Charlotte.

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The boy was shot in the chest inside a home in the 3500 block of South Rhodes Avenue, Chicago police said.

A 12-year-old boy was listed in critical condition after he was shot Thursday night on the South Side, officials say.

Shortly before 7 p.m., the boy was shot in a home in the 3500 block of South Rhodes Avenue, Chicago police said.

The boy suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and was transported to Comer Children’s Hospital, police said. He was listed in critical condition, according to Chicago fire officials.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Gov. J.B. Pritzker said that barring another surge of infections, he’ll let the state fully reopen June 11.  It’s the clearest timeline Pritzker has set for most of the state to return to business as usual — and one that puts him in disagreement with Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who is sticking to a more conservative potential reopening date of July 4.

An ordeal that left many feeling like there was no end in sight might finally be coming to a close.

With coronavirus case numbers heading in the right direction, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday announced he’ll lift more COVID-19 business restrictions across Illinois next week — and barring another surge of infections, he’ll let the state fully reopen June 11.

Fourteen months into the pandemic, it’s the clearest timeline Pritzker has set for most of the state to return to business as usual — and one that puts him at odds yet again with Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who is sticking to a more conservative potential reopening date of July 4 for Chicago.

But even with the light at the end of the tunnel “getting brighter and brighter,” it’s still no sure bet, the governor cautioned during a Loop news conference.

“This good news comes with a caveat. We have all seen throughout this pandemic that this virus and its variants have proven to be unpredictable,” Pritzker said. “Metrics that look strong today are far from a guarantee of how things will look a week, two weeks, a month from now. We saw that last August and again last March.”

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

That was the last time a spike in cases threw off the governor’s reopening plan. Illinois was on track to get to Pritzker’s intermediate “bridge phase” in late March until cases started trending back upward.

Now, with Illinois’ coronavirus testing positivity rate back down to 3% — its lowest point in six weeks — and more than 60% of the population at least partially vaccinated, the state is in line to get to the bridge May 14.

That means museums, amusement parks and zoos will be able to increase capacity from 25% to 60%, while festivals and other general admission outdoor events will be able to seat 30 people per 1,000 square feet. Additionally, meetings, conferences and conventions will see their capacity limit increase to either 1,000 people or 60% — whichever is less — with the same applying to theaters and performing arts venues.

After that, as long as residents follow basic COVID-19 precautions, keep signing up for vaccinations and help stave off another spike in infections, all of Pritzker’s business restrictions will be lifted June 11, he said.

“We want to keep moving forward,” Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said. “To do that, we need to get more and more individuals vaccinated, and we’re working to make the vaccines available in as many locations as possible.”

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Pritzker’s timeline would put the rest of the state about three weeks ahead of Chicago, where Lightfoot earlier this week said she’s aiming to fully open for business by July 4.

The mayor’s office said the city is “on course” to move to Pritzker’s bridge phase along with the rest of the state, but will stick to its own reopening timeline.

“While we have made significant progress and look forward to taking this step next week, we will only be able to fully reopen when we see continued improvement in COVID metrics and more widespread vaccine uptake,” a mayoral spokesperson said in an email. “We call on all Chicagoans to get vaccinated as soon as possible and to continue following the safety precautions so that we can experience all that Chicago has to offer this summer.”

Throughout the pandemic, Pritzker has given local governments leeway to impose COVID-19 restrictions that are tighter than his own, and Lightfoot often has done just that.

“I know that the mayor has said July 4 is what she’s aiming at,” Pritzker said. “I’m sure that she’s motivated to try to get there sooner, but this is where we can move to as a state.”

Graph not displaying properly? Click here.

Still, the governor stressed it might not happen if people don’t keep signing up for shots.

With the latest 99,599 COVID-19 shots that went into Illinois arms Wednesday, more than a third of the population is now fully vaccinated, but the state is now averaging just 70,063 shots given per day over the past week — a rate that has fallen almost in half since April 12.

And despite the state’s progress in lowering case counts, the virus is still causing grief across the state. In addition to 1,778 new cases of the disease, officials reported 40 more COVID-19 deaths, including a man in his 30s from McLean County in central Illinois.

The state’s death toll is up to 22,136 among more than 1.3 million residents who have tested positive over since March 2020.

“This pandemic is not over. But if we’re going to truly end it, we have to make sure that we don’t see another surge in the virus, and the best way to do that is for everyone to get vaccinated,” Pritzker said.

Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP file

As part of that effort, Pritzker announced doses are now being allocated to more than a thousand private physicians’ offices.

The life saving vaccines remain free and readily available on a walk-up basis at government-run mass vaccination sites as well as many Walgreens, Walmart and CVS pharmacies.

For help finding an appointment in Chicago, visit zocdoc.com or call (312) 746-4835.

For suburban Cook County sites, visit vaccine.cookcountyil.gov or call (833) 308-1988.

To find providers elsewhere, visit coronavirus.illinois.gov or call (833) 621-1284.

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While Chicago opera plays on your phone, Symphony Center announces May opening.

We’ll have to wait until sometime this summer to get the video stream Lyric Opera’s promising of last weekend’s performance of the garage opera, Twilight: Gods. Like a picnic version of a gourmet meal, that event was more about the environment than the opera, so it’ll be interesting to see how well it works onscreen.  
In the meantime, Lyric’s lineup of free streaming music (at lyricopera.org) just got a boost from the addition of the 2021 production of the Ryan Opera Center’s “Rising Stars in Concert”—the annual showcase for the routinely terrific young singers at Lyric’s training center.…Read More

A 77-year-old man driving a 1979 Chevy Corvette rear-ended a Buick LaCrosse while traveling in the I-94 express lane near 35th Street, according to Illinois State Police.

Two men were hospitalized Thursday afternoon after a 1979 Chevy Corvette rear-ended a sedan and caught on fire on the Dan Ryan Expressway near 35th Street.

A 77-year-old man driving the Corvette rear-ended a Buick LaCrosse about 2:05 p.m. while traveling south in the I-94 express lane near 35th Street, according to Illinois State Police.

Following the crash, the 77-year-old pulled over onto the shoulder and exited his Corvette, which then caught on fire, state police said.

He and the driver of the Buick, a 27-year-old man, were taken to area hospitals both with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, state police said.

Three lanes of I-94 southbound were closed until about 3 p.m.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

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