Chicago Slum-Times Story Here

June 22, 2010

BY TINA SFONDELES Staff Reporter

A bloody weekend of gun violence spilled into Monday, leaving 10 dead and nearly 60 men, women and children wounded all around the city.

Investigators tied some of the shootings in the Gresham and Englewood neighborhoods to stepped-up in-fighting among Gangster Disciple gang members.

And some of the violence on the West Side was attributed to retaliation over the slayings of three men found shot dead early Saturday in the 2300 block of South Springfield.

But the remainder of the shootings followed no pattern and were not being tied together, leaving emergency rooms busy, investigators with scores of open cases -- and national newcasts focusing on Chicago violence.

The youngest victim was a 1-year-old girl who suffered a graze wound to her neck when shots rang out at a barbecue about 12:15 a.m. Monday on the Near West Side.

The 10 dead included a man dressed in women's clothing found dead on a sidewalk in the 7500 block of South Halsted Street, two naked men found dead near railroad tracks in the 900 block of South Holland and the three men found in and around a car on South Springfield.

Here is a rundown of the shootings, based on reports from police and the Cook County medical examiner's office:

1) 3:05 p.m. Monday: A man, 20, walking in the 6400 block of South Kimbark was shot twice from a passing car.

2) 2:40 p.m. Monday: An 18-year-old man who punched a man on a CTA bus was shot in the leg by the same man after they both got off the bus in the 6800 block of South Halsted.

3) 2:40 p.m. Monday: An 18-year-old man was shot in the thigh in the 7700 block of South Kingston Avenue.

4) 2:30 p.m. Monday: A 42-year-old man was shot while walking in the 5900 block of South Loomis Street.

5) 8:50 a.m. Monday: Two unidentified men between 16 and 20 years old were found shot dead and naked along railroad tracks in the 9000 block of South Holland.

6) 6:39 a.m. Monday: A gunman shot a man he knew in the 11300 block of South Ada Street.

7) 3 a.m. Monday: A 29-year-old man dressed as a woman was found dead by a passing motorist in the 7500 block of South Halsted.

8) 2:20 a.m. Monday: A 27-year-old man was shot in the abdomen in the 7800 block of South Constance.

9) 2:02 a.m. Monday: Darryl Dunn, 44, of West 80th Street, was shot and killed in the 7200 block of South Marshfield.

10) 1:52 a.m. Monday: Larry Johnson, 25, of Lansing, died after being shot in the abdomen in the 6400 block of South Ingleside.

11) 12:50 a.m. Monday: A gunman burst into a party in the 6400 block of North Damen, shooting one man in the arm. Another jumped out a window.

12) 12:30 a.m. Monday: A 28-year-old woman riding in a car was shot in the right side and arm in the 6000 block of South Honore Street.

13) 12:11 a.m. Monday: A 1-year-old girl and four men were shot at a barbecue in the 1300 block of West Hastings Street. The girl suffered a graze wound to the neck.

14) 11:05 a.m. Sunday: A man talking to friends was shot in the 6200 block of South Maplewood.

15) 10:28 p.m. Sunday: Two 18-year-old men were shot in the 2900 block of West 64th Street -- one in the back, one in the leg.

16) 10 p.m. Sunday: A man was shot in the leg in the 600 block of South Central.

17) 9:47 p.m. Sunday: A man visiting his child at his ex-girlfriend's home in the 200 block of North Lamon was shot in the leg by the woman's new boyfriend.

18) 8:15 p.m. Sunday: A fight broke out in the street in the 1200 block of East 78th Street and a 16-year-old girl was shot in the back.

19) 6:20 p.m. Sunday: A man was shot in the right foot in the 7400 block of South Euclid.

20) 5 p.m. Sunday: A man, 31, waiting for a CTA bus in the 5100 block of South Halsted was shot in the buttocks.

21) 3 p.m. Sunday: A quarrel over a stolen car led to the shooting of a 19-year-old in the 300 block of West 106th.

22) 1 a.m. Sunday: A man was shot in the foot in the 1600 block of North Sawyer.

23) 11:10 p.m. Saturday: Three men arguing about a woman with a group of people were shot in the 3300 block of West Huron. Durwin Hackman, 20, was killed.

24) 10:15 p.m. Saturday: A 26-year-old man, a 19-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy were shot in a parking lot in the 6200 block of Lake Shore Drive.

25) 10 p.m. Saturday: A woman in her 20s was wounded in a drive-by at Van Buren and Central.

26) 9:10 p.m. Saturday: A girl, 15, caught in the crossfire was shot in the hand in the 3400 block of West Evergreen.

27) 6:10 p.m. Saturday: Two people were shot -- one in the leg, one in the side -- in a gang-related shooting in 2700 block of West Division.

28) 6:12 p.m. Saturday: Two men, included one in his 20s, were shot in the 1100 block of North Washtenaw.

29) 6:04 p.m. Saturday: Five people were shot in the 2200 block of South Kolin Avenue.

30) 3:10 p.m. Saturday: An 18-year-old man walking in the 2300 block of South Kostner was shot in the back by someone in passing car.

31) 9:09 a.m. Saturday: A 19-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy standing in the 11500 block of South La Salle were shot -- the man in the arm, the boy in the leg.

32) 3 a.m. Saturday: Three men were shot and killed in the 2300 block of South Springfield. Relatives Waseen Smith, 25, and Barry Smith, 45, and Leon Smith, 28, all died from multiple gunshot wounds.

33) 12:17 a.m. Saturday: A boy, 16, sitting on a porch in the 6900 block of South Justine was shot in the knee in a drive-by.

34) 10:30 p.m. Friday: A 27-year-old walking in an alley behind the 8800 block of South Loomis was shot.

35) 9:15 p.m. Friday: Pierre York, 19, of the 8600 block of South Wood, died Sunday after being shot in the temple Friday night in the 1800 block of West 8th Street.

 http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/08/205_71329.html

The U.S. government is opposing Korea’s bid to sell thousands of aging U.S. combat rifles to American gun collectors.

As printed in the N Central Illinois Tribune
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Examiner.com article here

The owner of a pawn shop on Chicago's Northwest side reportedly used his gun in self defense against three robbers.

Police say that that three robbers entered the pawn shop, located on the 5900 block of West Fullerton Avenue, just before 1 PM.  After being placed in fear for life by the robbers, the pawn shop owner is said to have fired in self defense, striking one of the robbers and sending his accomplices fleeing.  A dead suspect was found near the crime scene, and police are seeking the two other suspects, according to news reports.  No injuries to the pawn shop owner or any bystanders were reported.

This is the third self defense shooting to occur in Chicago during the last couple of weeks.  In the first self defense shooting, an 80 year old Chicago homeowner used his handgun to stop a convicted felon who broke in during the ealy morning hours.  In the second self defense shooting, another Chicago homeowner used his handgun to stop a fugitive who dove through his front window while running from the police.

Sadly, gun control advocates ignore the self defense value of firearms and believe that infringing the right of law abiding citizens to own a gun for self defense will somehow prevent criminals from having a gun and using it to commit a crime.  The fact is that criminals ignore the laws that tell them not to have a gun, just as readily as they ignore the rest of society’s laws.  The result is that criminals remained armed, and are able to prey upon their defenseless victims with impunity.  Adding insult to injury, gun bans lead to situations where those citizens who fire in self defense end up prosecuted for saving their own lives.  Hopefully, the soon to be decided McDonald v. Chicago case will put an end to Chicago’s handgun ban and the injustice that goes along with it, allowing more Chicago residents to defend themselves against violent criminals.

Link to original story here

DeKALB – A group that is fighting for Illinois residents to be able to carry concealed weapons said they spent several hours at Northern Illinois University on Wednesday to honor the victims of a campus shooting two years ago.

Shaun Kranish, executive director of ICarry.org, said the organization was gathering on the two-year, two-month anniversary of the Feb. 14, 2008, campus shooting to honor the five students who were killed. Another 21 people were injured in the incident at Cole Hall before the gunman killed himself.

“We are just trying to raise awareness and honor the victims of the massacre,” Kranish said during a phone interview before the event started. “ ... We believe we are honoring them by raising awareness of the fact that they were all helpless. Every single one in that hall was helpless and not able to have a way to protect themselves against the maniac who did that.”

The group met shortly after noon outside of the Holmes Student Center and intended to stay until the evening. Participants were wearing empty holsters to signify that Illinois does not allow residents to legally carry firearms The group talked with and passed out information to passers-by.

Maria Torres, 22, stopped to speak with the group. Torres, an Elgin resident who said she plans to transfer to NIU in the fall, said she is against carrying guns but that she wanted to hear what the group had to say.

“I have always associated (guns) with violence,” Torres said. “I have a bad idea of guns. I don’t think they do good.”

Scott Black, 30, of Sycamore said he came to the event to support his 2nd Amendment right to bear arms and to raise awareness.

“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Black said when asked why residents should have the right to bear arms. “You can’t have life if you can’t defend yourself. You can’t have liberty if you can’t defend yourself. And you need both to pursue happiness.”

The event also was sponsored by Students for Concealed Carry on Campus and GunMap.org. They said they also held the open holster event to raise awareness that many mass-casualty shootings have occurred in gun-free zones, a designation that Kranish said is not going to dissuade someone intent on committing murder.

NIU is a no-carry zone, NIU Police Sgt. Alan Smith said. The group alerted campus police that they would be there Wednesday, Smith said, and they “weren’t a disturbance.” Scott Peska, director of NIU’s Office for Support and Advocacy, said Wednesday afternoon that no one had come into his office with concerns about the group. OSA works with those most affected by the 2008 shooting.

Guns can be legally purchased by Illinois residents, who need to have a Firearm Owner’s Identification card and follow other rules. But residents cannot carry them openly or concealed. To legally transport a firearm, it must be unloaded and enclosed in a case by a person who has a valid FOID card, according to the Illinois State Police.

The state’s criminal code refers to “a case, firearm carrying box, shipping box, or other container,” according to the Illinois State Police Web site.

Libertyville-Review Article Here

If Joe Franzese [ICarry.org President] has his way, he will open five gun shops within the borders of Chicago by the end of this year.

Franzese already owns one gun shop, Second Amendment Arms in Lake Villa. But his goal of opening gun shops in Chicago, including Lincoln Park and on Michigan Avenue, has been halted due to new ordinances set in place by the Chicago City Council regarding the sale and ownership of guns in the city.

Franzese and former United States Marine Robert Zieman, Sr., have now filed a lawsuit against the City of Chicago and a number of city officials, alleging the new ordinances are unconstitutional. The lawsuit was filed against the City of Chicago, Mayor Richard M. Daley - as an individual and as mayor, - Superintendent of Police Jody P. Weis, City Clerk Miguel Del Valle and Maria Georges - as an individual and as corporation counsel.

"I filed the lawsuit because I want to sell a legal product and you can't outlaw a legal product," said Franzese.

According to the lawsuit filed by Franzese's attorney, Walter Maksym, the United States Supreme Court on June 28 struck down the City of Chicago's previous gun ban ordinance that had been in place for 28 years. The ordinance, Maksym wrote in his complaint, "banned handguns by making them 'unregisterable' by law-abiding citizens, and thereby prohibited and was designed to render their ownership, transfer and possession illegal."

Franzese, who has owned Second Amendment Arms in Lake Villa for two years, then submitted two business license applications with the Chicago City Clerk's office with the intent of opening gun shops in Lincoln Park and on Michigan Avenue.

Within a couple of days, however, city officials adopted a new set of ordinances regarding the sale and ownership of guns. Maksym said these ordinances call for extensive training, require gun owners to obtain a $100 renewable permit every three years and prohibit gun owners from taking those guns outside of their homes - even in their backyards.

"People get killed in the streets. People get mugged in their backyards," said Maksym, who also is one of the lawyers representing Drew Peterson in his pending murder case. "They're saying you can only keep arms in your home but not bear arms."

He added the $100 permit is "like having a $10,000 car and having a $20,000 city sticker."

The new ordinance, according to the lawsuit, also bans gun shops.

"By banning gun shops and the sale (of) handguns, Chicago and Mayor Daley currently maintain and actively enforce a set of laws, customs, practices and policies under color of state law which deprive individuals, including the plaintiffs, of their right to keep and bear arms, and engage in commerce by selling them, lawful products, in violation of the Second and 14th Amendments to the United States Constitution," the lawsuit alleges.

"You cannot overregulate," said Maksym. "You cannot ban people from having a legal product or using a legal product."

He likened it to being able to practice religion, but not being allowed to build churches in the city.

"I represent law-abiding gun owners," said Maksym. "People get shot because people are angry. There's no such thing as gun violence."

Franzese said he wants to open gun shops in Chicago because "it's an untapped market.

"I'm a businessman. I go where I'm needed," he said.

Franzese maintains he is "grandfathered in on the Supreme Court ruling" since he submitted his business license applications after the old ban was struck down and before the new ordinances were adopted.

The gun shops he wants to open, Franzese said, would be full-service shops that would offer training, education and, possibly, shooting ranges.

"I have unlimited financial backing, unlimited time and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," said Franzese. "The ball's in (Mayor Daley's) court. We haven't heard anything yet, but all odds of this going through are few and far between, I guess.

"I'm not going anywhere," he added. "I've got 15, 20, 30 years. It doesn't matter to me."

Franzese is seeking monetary damages through the lawsuit, including loss of profits and attorney fees.

Article from WalworthCountyToday.com

By DARRYL ENRIQUEZ   Monday, Aug. 30, 2010

Shaun Kranish, executive director of the gun rights group iCarry.org, videotapes at an open-carry gathering Sunday at the Delavan Starbucks. Dan Plutchak/staff.

DELAVAN -- Several dozen open-carry advocates from throughout Wisconsin and Illinois gathered at the Starbucks here Sunday to socialize while openly carrying holstered handguns. They agree that weapons be carried on most any occasion.

“It’s like wearing a seat belt in a car,” said Shaun Kranish on the importance of being armed at all times.

The one exception that Kranish jokingly agreed to may be when snuggling with a loved one at night.

Besides that circumstance, people must be prepared to defend themselves and others against criminals who kill without remorse or conscience, Kranish said.

“I would hate the thought of someone opening fire on innocent people (near me), and I’m not armed,” he said.

Kranish is the executive director of ICarry.org, with members in Illinois and southern Wisconsin. He and several members traveled to the Delavan gathering from Rockford, Ill.

Advocates argue that the Constitution and legal rulings from courts and top state officials allow them to carry openly, as long as guns are holstered and in plain site and not concealed by clothing or other objects.

Nik Clark, chairman of Wisconsin Carry Inc., also was at the rally

Rallies to display firepower in public have become prevalent this summer, having occurred at Starbucks in Eau Claire, La Crosse, Racine, Kenosha and at a Culver’s restaurant in Beloit, said Paul Fisher of Sugar Creek Township, an event organizer.

The Delavan Starbucks manager, personally known by some attendees, said she was instructed by her boss to not comment on Sunday’s rally.

In March, Starbucks publicly stated it allowed open-carry guns in states where it is legal.

At any given moment, about 40 open-carry advocates were chatting on the outdoor patio that overlooks busy Highway 50 or inside the air-conditioned coffee shop.

Overall attendance was likely higher, though. Advocates from the area, as well as from Milwaukee, La Crosse, Sheboygan, Racine and Rockford, readily came and went throughout the warm afternoon.

“Frankly, I’m surprised at the number of people who are here,” Fisher said. “A year ago, I’m not sure we would have had this kind of turnout.”

No Delavan police were seen observing the event, although law enforcement agencies from throughout Walworth County were invited to attend, Fisher said

A picnic for area open-carry advocates might be the next event, Fisher said.

A discussion point at the local event was when was it inappropriate to open carry?

Wisconsin law says convicted felons cannot carry and open guns cannot be carried inside a government building or near a school. People cannot carry if they are intoxicated. Without permission, they cannot carry inside a place that serves alcohol. If a merchant does not want open carry in his or her establishment, the armed person must leave as immediately as he or she is able.

Besides the incidents spelled out by Wisconsin law, many attendees were hard pressed to set personal restrictions on their own open-carry practices.

Fisher said he thought church might be one example, but he quickly retracted that thought after remembering the slaughter that happened several years back at a church based in a meeting room of a suburban Milwaukee hotel.

“Everyone would assume you’d be safe in church, but you can never really tell,” Fisher said.

Heather Palenske carries a pink handgun, the same color as the van of her husband Mike’s business—Dam Road Gun Shop in Delavan.

The gun not only provides protection but also accessorizes her outfit. Palenske said pink is her favorite color.

She also could not think of an inappropriate time in which to carry her petite handgun, including weddings and funerals.