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Young teen killed, 28 people wounded by gunfire in Chicago Wednesday as city sees three mass shootings in a single daySun-Times Wireon July 22, 2021 at 12:59 pm

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Two of the mass attacks occurred within minutes of each other on the West Side, the other near a party bus in Lincoln Park.

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Sun-Times Wire

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Jul 22, 2021, 7:59am CDT

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Young teen killed, 28 people wounded by gunfire in Chicago Wednesday as city sees three mass shootings in a single daySun-Times Wireon July 22, 2021 at 12:59 pm Read More »

14-year-old boy killed and nine other people wounded in two shootings blocks and minutes apart on West Side. ‘Heartbreaking and shocking.’Cindy Hernandezon July 22, 2021 at 1:29 pm

Reshorna Fitzpatrick stood with four other pastors as police placed white markers near shell casings strewn on the street and sidewalk near Theodore Herzl Elementary School in North Lawndale.

Five people — three of them teens — had been shot there, minutes after five other people had been shot just blocks away. A 14-year-old boy died in that shooting.

“I’m heartbroken,” said Fitzpatrick, pastor of the Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church down the street. “It’s heartbreaking and shocking because we had gotten to a place where we were really experiencing some peace.”

The two shootings Wednesday evening were among three mass attacks in Chicago in a single day. The other occurred close to midnight in Lincoln Park when someone in a passing car shot eight people who had been riding in a party bus.

At least 34 other shootings this year have wounded four or more people, according to a Sun-Times analysis of city data. Over the last five years, Chicago has recorded the most mass shootings in the nation by far, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Police tape blocks off a section of the crime scene in front of Theodore Herzl School at the corner of W Douglas Blvd and S Ridgeway Ave in Lawndale, Wednesday, July 21, 2021. | Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Police tape blocks off a section of the crime scene in front of Theodore Herzl School at the corner of Douglas Boulevard and Ridgeway Avenue in North Lawndale on Wednesday, July 21, 2021.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Three of the victims from the attacks were 15 and younger, continuing a trend of rising violence against children this year.

The neighborhood where they were shot, North Lawndale, has been more deadly this year than this time last year, from 21 homicides to 30.

“I really wish that the community would come together and operate from a place of peace,” Fitzpatrick said. “That they would establish some type of faith, some type of order in the homes with their family members and have conversations, particularly around peace, and also around just being community — to just come in and be one.”

The first attack happened around 6 p.m. when a gunman or gunmen opened fire at the corner of Douglas Boulevard and Christiana Avenue, according to Chicago Police Deputy Chief Ernest Cato.

A 14-year-old boy was shot in the head and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. His name has not been released.

A car on its side at a crime scene at the corner of W Douglas Blvd and S Ridgeway Ave in Lawndale, Wednesday, July 21, 2021. | Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
A car sits on its side at a crime scene at the corner of Douglas Boulevard and Ridgeway Avenue in North Lawndale on Wednesday, July 21, 2021.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Another boy, 16, was also struck in the head and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in “grave” condition, police said.

Three men were also taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where they were stabilized, police said. A 22-year-old was shot in the foot and another, 24, was struck in the leg. A third man, also 24, was shot in the hip.

Minutes later, three teenagers and two men were shot outside Herzl Elementary near Douglas Boulevard and Ridgeway Avenue, Cato said.

An 18-year-old man was shot in the upper body and was taken in critical condition to Mouint Sinai Hospital, police said.

Two boys, 15 and 17, were taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, police said. The 15-year-old was shot in the leg and the 17-year-old suffered a graze wound to the back.

A third boy, 14, was shot in the arm and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition, police said. A 22-year-old man was struck in the thigh and taken to the hospital in good condition.

At the scene, a car was flipped on its side, apparently the result of someone making a turn at a high rate of speed, according to Cato.

Police tape blocks off a section of the crime scene in front of Theodore Herzl School at the corner of W Douglas Blvd and S Ridgeway Ave in Lawndale, Wednesday, July 21, 2021. | Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Police tape blocks off a section of the crime scene in front of Theodore Herzl School at the corner of Douglas Boulevard and Ridgeway Avenue in North Lawndale on Wednesday, July 21, 2021.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Though only three blocks apart, the two shootings didn’t appear to be related, Cato said. He pleaded with community members to come forward with information.

“We’re going to need an all-hands-on-deck approach, and that approach is going to involve … our community getting involved and saying what’s going on,” he said. “Our community who has cellphone pictures, who has Facebook information. We’re going to need your help.”

On the two mass shootings occurring so close to one another, Cato said, “Unfortunately, we’re seeing this not only in our city. We’re seeing this in our country, mass shootings. If you’re asking for my feelings, I’m not happy about it at all. I think all of us should be sad about what’s going on in our country and in our city.”

A car on its side at a crime scene at the corner of W Douglas Blvd and S Ridgeway Ave in Lawndale, Wednesday, July 21, 2021. | Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
A car sits on its side at a crime scene at the corner of Douglas Boulevard and Ridgeway Avenue in North Lawndale on Wednesday, July 21, 2021.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Fitzpatrick, the executive pastor of Stone Temple, said she was working in a nearby community peace garden when she heard gunshots. Then she saw people running and shooting each other.

“It kind of reminded me of some of the westerns that my dad [watched],” said Fitzpatrick, who said there was rapid shooting for 30 to 60 seconds.

Fitzpatrick said her church hosts “Wellness Sundays” on the boulevard and invites community members to socialize and participate in activities like face painting and tight-rope walking on the grassy median.

“It’s really been working,” she said. “That’s why this is really shocking to me.”

Deputy Chief Ernest Cato addresses the media regarding the recent shooting that happened minutes from each other at the corner of W Douglas Blvd and S Ridgeway Ave in Lawndale, Wednesday, July 21, 2021. | Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Deputy Chief Ernest Cato discusses two mass shootings that happened minutes apart Wednesday evening in North Lawndale.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

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14-year-old boy killed and nine other people wounded in two shootings blocks and minutes apart on West Side. ‘Heartbreaking and shocking.’Cindy Hernandezon July 22, 2021 at 1:29 pm Read More »

The Wildest Hot Dogs in TownLynette Smithon July 22, 2021 at 1:45 pm

Last summer, three weeks before Bobby Morelli was supposed to open an ice cream and cookie spot, his business partner bailed. Before that, the pandemic forced his web design clients to scale back and put his fledgling R&B career on hold due to canceled tour dates. So Morelli, an avid home cook, brainstormed concepts for a restaurant to fit the times, one that made sense for takeout, worked year-round, and could be pulled off without professional culinary experience. His answer: hot dogs.

Morelli opened the Hot Dog Box last August inside a 400-square-foot cherry-red steel shipping container at Boxville, a marketplace across from the 51st Street CTA station. There, he and his 9-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, serve what they call “gourmet glizzies,” a.k.a. hot dogs loaded with wild toppings. Now that it’s their first full summer in business, diners have been lining up for the creative dogs, which are helping fill the void that Hot Doug’s left when it closed in 2014. Morelli is offering attention getters like the Bronzeville Bourbon Steak Dog ($12.75), which packs on bacon, carrot-cabbage slaw, sport peppers, and bourbon barbecue sauce, and the salty-sweet Pickle and Peanut Butter Mignon Steak Dog ($12.75), topped with the improbable combo of sweet pickles, a spicy truffle and peanut butter sauce, and crispy onions seasoned with garlic and pepper. Besides his steak dogs — natural-casing franks actually made with filet mignon — Morelli has turkey, chicken, and vegan wieners, and for purists, there’s always a Chicago-style dog ($5.75).

Prairie Blues, Bronzeville Bourbon Steak Dog, and Pickle and Peanut Butter Mignon Steak Dog
On the menu at Hot Dog Box (from left): Prairie Blues, Bronzeville Bourbon Steak Dog, and Pickle and Peanut Butter Mignon Steak Dog

Morelli dreams up limited-run offerings like the Compass, a steak dog with shrimp, arugula, and creamy chipotle sauce, and the Smoked Teriyaki, a wild Alaskan salmon dog with spinach, green onions, teriyaki sauce, and toasted sesame seeds. “The grocery store is now my favorite place to be,” he says, describing how he roams the aisles to find ideas for new menu items.

When school and homework are finished, Brooklyn heads over to the shop, where she takes orders, washes dishes, and restocks ingredients. “I’m proud to share this journey with her,” Morelli says. “I didn’t have my father growing up, and I often longed for one to help show me the ropes.”

Sales have been strong enough that Morelli is ready to expand beyond the shipping container. A round of crowdfunding helped him raise enough to convert a former Portage Park bridal shop into a restaurant (4020 N. Milwaukee Ave.) he hopes to open August 1, in time to celebrate the Hot Dog Box’s first anniversary. “I always knew I would be a man of success,” says Morelli. “I just didn’t know that hot dogs would get me there.” 330 E. 51st St., Bronzeville

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The Wildest Hot Dogs in TownLynette Smithon July 22, 2021 at 1:45 pm Read More »

“Even the best of us are at least part-time bastards”on July 22, 2021 at 1:00 pm

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“Even the best of us are at least part-time bastards”

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“Even the best of us are at least part-time bastards”on July 22, 2021 at 1:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Joins Roses Against Violenceon July 22, 2021 at 1:15 pm

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Should You Buy or Build a Commercial Property?on July 22, 2021 at 1:37 pm

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National Cheesecake Day 2021on July 22, 2021 at 1:50 pm

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Man charged in fatal shooting after crash on I-57Sun-Times Wireon July 22, 2021 at 12:37 pm

A 21-year-old Gary man was ordered to be held without bail, after he was charged with a fatal shooting after a crash on I-57.

Angelo Baldwin has been charged with a felony count of first-degree murder, according to Illinois State police.

About 1:15 a.m. July 1, officers responded to calls of a person who was shot on the expressway and found a 21-year-old man who had been shot multiple times, state police said.

An investigation found that two vehicles crashed in the southbound lanes of I-57 at Wentworth, state police said. Both vehicles pulled off the road and the driver of the other vehicle got out of his vehicle and approached Baldwin.

After a brief encounter, the man returned to his vehicle, and Baldwin allegedly followed him, pulled out a gun, and opened fire, state police said. He then fled the scene.

A passenger of the vehicle, a 27-year-old woman, drove the man to the hospital, state police said. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

A day later, Baldwin was arrested by Jackson Police in Tennessee after a traffic stop, state police said. He was extradited to Cook County jail July 16.

Baldwin was ordered to be held without bail a day later.

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Man charged in fatal shooting after crash on I-57Sun-Times Wireon July 22, 2021 at 12:37 pm Read More »

Justice Hill, producer, keyboardist, and songwriterLeor Galilon July 22, 2021 at 11:00 am

PHOTO BY MARCUS GREEN

Producer and songwriter Justice Hill, 29, got his start in the Chicago scene in the mid-2010s playing keyboards as a sideman. He also makes soulful hybrid pop under his own name, and in April he released his debut full-length album, Room With a View.

I moved to this small town in Michigan when I was ten. My mom got married, so I moved to this 4,000-person town. I was struggling to fit in; I wanted to swim, I wanted to be a scientist, and I never really found my stride. Once I started playing piano–I would just play at school–I was like, “Wow, this is awesome.” It grew into something I couldn’t stop doing. I would skip lunch, go to the practice room, and play. In the summer, I would have my mom drop me off at the school while she went to work so I could just practice the piano all day. The music teacher would let me in. I just needed to get better, and I just loved improving–it just became my sole thing.

I felt like I had complete control over something for once, and it allowed me to be a more confident version of myself. I just got addicted to that feeling.

I had teachers here and there, but there was never one point where someone took me under their wing. My choir teacher in high school, we kind of talked about what it would look like going forward if I actually chose to do music. She was like, “You know, it’s gonna be really tough.” But she helped me prepare my piece for Berklee College of Music. Once I decided to do that, I had a few people in my life help me.

I went to Berklee for two and a half years. I dropped out and I stayed in Boston for about two more years, just using the facilities. There was a teacher there who I really liked, my arrangement teacher. He taught me, “Going to music school’s not like any other school. It’s not like you leave and now you’re an engineer. Or you go to school for business and now you have a business degree. You’re a musician when you go to school there, and you’re a musician when you leave, no matter what. You go there to teach yourself how to get better.”

I would just practice every other day, like, eight hours a day, until I got where my peers were. In my small town of Allegan, I was very good, but all of a sudden I was really low. To my credit, no one really showed me jazz and stuff, but my first week at Berklee College of Music, I asked someone–in front of a lot of people–who Miles Davis was. And that did not go over very well. They were like, “Who the fuck are you?” I was like, “I’m Justice.” And then, here I am, a month and a half later, listening to John Coltrane and having my mind blown. I always felt like I had something to prove when I was in college, so I’d practice a lot.

My aunt, who was my best friend my whole life, passed away suddenly in 2014. I went into a pretty deep state of depression dealing with the grief, and I wanted to be closer to my family. My grandmother lives in New Buffalo, Michigan. I’m from Michigan–I grew up there. So Chicago is a place I could do music. I had one really good friend who lived here. I wanted to be somewhere I could still pursue my dreams but be closer to my family, so I chose Chicago, and I’m really glad I did. I’ve lived here for six years now, and I love it.

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Breaking into the music scene was really tough for me. I really struggled to find someone to take me seriously. I immediately got a job bartending, and I’d go out and be like this gangly, loud, goofy guy that says he can play piano. So it took me a while to really find someone, and then one night at the Promontory I met my most frequent collaborator, Eshe All Day Hues, who’s actually on two of the songs on my album. Eshe was looking for a keyboardist and just gave me a chance. We ended up becoming best friends. We recorded an album the next month, and that was the first person that started introducing me to other players in town. The band Eshe had at the time is now pretty much my band: my drummer Jalen [Little], [guitarist] Rob Campbell, and a lot of lesser-known people in the city who are such amazing players.

That took me to jams at Moe’s Tavern. I used to go there for jams every week. I eventually started playing for this burlesque show at the Drifter. I got all these weird, fun gigs. There was this one gig we played, where I got to play–I say “got to,” but it was almost “have to”–“We Got the Funk” for an hour straight. It was nuts. We had a 20-piece band, so it was big. It was at Moe’s. The band went onto the carpeted floor, everyone’s drinking dollar beers. It was a good time.

There’s two iterations of Room With a View. Some of these songs I started writing maybe four or five years ago; some of them I did just during quarantine. Maybe two years ago, I had a version of the album that I was pretty happy with, and it would always be something where I was like, “No, this isn’t working.” Or, “This one song doesn’t fit here.” About a year ago, I decided to scrap it all and start from scratch, so I rewrote half the songs. I’ve been working on it for three and a half, four years, but this version of the album took me about eight months.

I sent the files to be mastered at 10 AM, January 6. I tweeted, “Greatest day of my life, I just finished my album.” And then the insurrection happened four hours later. I was like, “That didn’t last very long.” [Editor’s note: The relevant tweet still online reads, “Just finished mixing the album.”]

The day the album came out, I felt a sense of accomplishment I never felt before. I just really wanted to create a body of work that moved me and moved others. I feel like I’ve completed that goal in some way, and that feels good. It’s unreal. v

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Justice Hill, producer, keyboardist, and songwriterLeor Galilon July 22, 2021 at 11:00 am Read More »