Damian Dunning's shot and killed on the Stevenson Expressway

 

It was last weekend when a tragic accident on the Stevenson Expressway in Skokie took the life of a man who was more than a diligent postal worker but an amazing father. The man who was found dead had been identified as Damian Dunning and was a well-respected member of his community. His family spoke with incredible sadness and pain about the loss of this remarkable man. At just 41 years old, Damian followed the typical Sunday night routine. He had just dropped off his nephew, following a basketball practice, at his home on the fateful night, after finishing a long day of work. As he was driving, tragedy struck, and he was shot in the most unfortunate terms.

The shooting occurred shortly after 10:20 p.m. on the northbound ramp leading onto DuSable Lake Shore Drive. A short while later, emergency responders with the Illinois State Police arrived on the scene. They had found Mr. Dunning slumped inside the car upon arrival, suffering from a serious gunshot wound to his head. Realizing the gravity of the situation, they rushed him to a nearby hospital. Despite their efforts to save him, he unfortunately did not make it and succumbed to his injuries.

Damian had been a diligent United States postal worker who worked a route near Midway Airport. His work ethic and dedication to the family made him an asset in the community. The purposeless murder of Damian Dunning has created a gaping hole in the lives of loved ones near him and has presented them with an aftermath which will continue long after this violence.

In society, he was a very popular and well-esteemed individual, as he was a caring father and brother. The bonds in his family were strong, and people envied how he used to handle his loved ones with passion. Besides his responsibilities that concerned his family, he was also an entrepreneur who was making every effort in order to establish himself as a career man. He had just recently developed, during the last year, a music application that gained so much popularity instantly and highlighted his innovative capabilities in the technological sector.

A second tragedy to befall Dunning's family was the death of his cousin, Loyce Wright. He had worked as a security guard in the Family Dollar store in the Austin neighborhood. He was shot dead on February 23, aged forty-three years old. The family and the community were shocked, stuck with overwhelming sadness. As the investigation of the shooting continued, many were looking to understand why. Family members for Dunning were in shock and saddened, saying they couldn't believe the shooting was an actual attack. They say it could have been a tragic incident of road rage that contributed to their confusion and heartbreak about how Loyce had died.

Emonte Morgan convicted of the murder of CPD Officer Ella French and causing injuries to her partner during shooting incident

 

A jury found Emonte Morgan guilty of murder Tuesday evening in the killing of Chicago Police Officer Ella French, who was shot during a traffic stop in the Englewood neighborhood in 2021. The jury returned the verdict in just a few hours after it began deliberations Tuesday. The prosecution rested their case earlier in the day, and the defense opted not to call any witnesses. They instead rested their case in the afternoon and went ahead with their closing arguments. Morgan, 23, was indicted on 85 counts of what was described as a serious indictment. He was charged with murder, attempted murder, and a slew of other serious felonies. Prosecutors presented the case that Morgan shot and killed Officer French, while also wounding her partner, Officer Carlos Yanez, and firing at another officer, Joshua Blas, who was present at the time of the incident. The case received widespread attention due to the circumstances and its community impact.

 

 

 

 

Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx said  "While this is a victory, it is very difficult to feel just – because justice would be Ella French being able to be with her family and continuing to serve the people of Cook County," said Foxx. "Justice would be Officer Yanez being able to walk with the same abilities that he had before."

"Finally, we get a little justice for Ella, Carlos, and Josh," added Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara, who spoke shortly before Foxx. "I'd like to thank the Cook County State's Attorney and assistant state's attorneys for their hard work and putting this case together and making sure that every hypothetical, made-up defense was covered, and we could move on and kind of focus on life after this now."

 But Morgan's mother, Evalena Flores, She maintained her son's innocence and pointed fingers at the police for their actions, calling it a  "cover-up."     

"I do believe my son will receive justice, and I will continue to fight for my son's justice," she said.

 

North Side business robber wanted by Chicago police

 

Police are searching for a man who can be seen in surveillance footage in connection to an alarming spate of armed robberies that hit the North Side area of the city. According to police records, the suspect has been involved in four different business incidents: two of the armed robberies happened in December while the other two cases occurred in February.

Each robbery has involved a description of the suspect as carrying a firearm and threatening cashiers to turn over money. In each case, witnesses recall the same pattern of behavior: the thief enters the establishment, flashes the weapon, and then demands cash before fleeing the scene. Surveillance video of one of those robberies has yielded critical evidence as the suspect pulls out a gun in front of the cashier and takes cash directly from the register. Evidence that's very important to their investigation, and it's the reason why police are ramping up efforts to find this suspect to make sure he doesn't strike again and put anybody else in harms' way.

Man stabs two teen boys, killing one

 

 

 Now, authorities have charged a 50-year-old man, identified as Oronde Hardy, in conjunction with a gruesome incident that occurred in the southern suburb of Chicago Heights. Hardy is accused of stabbing two teenage brothers, which resulted in one of the boys' deaths. The family will now have to go through the sad process of making funeral arrangements for their lost son, facing the heart-wrenching task of saying goodbye to a young life cut short.

He was indicted for first-degree murder, attempted murder, among other grave charges. After a detention hearing, he was remanded to custody. He remained at Cook County Jail pending his trial.

According to the boys' mother, the incident had happened on a Monday afternoon when the boys and their sister were playing at a playground near their home. This was where Hardy showed up and started staring at them in a way that both described as weird and unsettling. These two brothers felt uncomfortable and decided to approach Hardy for some space. This somehow escalated into a physical fight between the two families, during which, it is alleged that Hardy stabbed the two boys. Now, the family is divided between seeking justice and also mourning their loss.

Among the victims of the violent incident was a 13-year-old child, David Sanchez. The sad news is being confirmed by authorities in coordination with the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. As per reports, David sustained grave injuries and was taken to Comer Children's Hospital. Unfortunately, the treatment at the hospital was not enough to keep him alive, and he passed away on Tuesday. His older brother is 14 and was hurt in the incident as well. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he is currently recovering from his injuries, officials said.

During this weather, the Sanchez siblings had on Monday gone out to have some fun in the park at Harold Park in Chicago Heights. Their sister joined them for a day of play at the playground in the 1500 block of Hanover Street. Unfortunately, that sunny day went dark as police were called to the playground for an incident that generally gave cause for alarm. They found two small boys suffering from stab wounds.

As one of the family friends said to the reporter, it was a man who was confronted by the teenagers, and that itself is what triggered the whole thing. The brothers came upon him and asked him to stop being so aggressive, which escalated into an argument. In an unbelievable act, he started stabbing these two boys, after which he ran away. The two victims were quickly taken to area hospitals for urgent care by emergency workers following the attack.



Police apprehended Hardy, a person of interest in an ongoing investigation, on Wednesday, thanks to advanced license plate reader technology that tracked the movements of his vehicle. License plate readers have become increasingly useful technology for police on a myriad of crime-fighting levels. Meanwhile, David Sanchez's family is trying to come to terms with his death, having made funeral arrangements for him on March 7. A GoFundMe campaign was set up by the family to help pay for the service. It's an online fundraiser to collect money from friends, family, and the community to help offset some of the funeral expenses during this tough time.