No arrests have been made in last week’s triple slaying on the Southeast Side that claimed the lives of three teens, police said.
No arrests have been made in last week’s triple slaying on the Southeast Side that claimed the lives of three teens, police said. Kendrick Pitts, 17, Raheem Washington, 15, and Johnny Edwards, 13, were caught in a hail of gunfire Friday afternoon in the 8700 block of South Exchange Avenue. Police said shootings appears to be gang-related and that an assault rifle was used. They have not determined if the victims were the intended targets. There are at least two police surveillance cameras in the area that may provide leads for police, who said they are looking to speak with three “persons of interest” in connection with the shootings. Pitts and Washington were students at Bowen High School, and Edwards was a seventh grader at Mireles Academy. Mayor Richard M. Daley expressed outrage at the news of the incident, calling the shooter(s) evil. “To see evil people take (children’s) lives, with total disregard for their ages, that’s the thing that bothers everyone,” the mayor said Saturday. Less than six months ago, on the same block, a 10-year-old girl was felled by gang crossfire. On Labor Day, Nequiel Fowler stopped near her home to tie her blind sister’s shoes when she was struck by a bullet. Four men with gang ties were charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder for their roles in the fatal shooting. As gang tension remains high in the area, and it appears from the recent shooting that there is no immediate sign of it lessening, anti-violence protestors held a vigil Sunday near the crime scene. The Rev. Robin Hood of Clergy Committed to Community was angry that he’s had to participate in another prayer march for innocent victims. “This is not the last time we will be out here,” Hood said. ______ Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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