* Tribune…
A 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl were ordered held without bail Sunday after being charged with murder in the shooting death of Jovan Wilson, the grandson of U.S. Rep. Danny Davis.
Tariq M. Harris, 16, and Dijae T. Banks, 17, are charged as adults with first-degree murder in an attack that started as a fight over clothes and shoes, police and prosecutors said. The pair were taken into custody Saturday.
Harris, of the 8100 block of South Loomis Boulevard, and Banks, of the 12000 block of South Indiana Avenue, appeared before Cook County Judge James Brown wearing juvenile detention center sweatshirts and with their heads bowed.
Brown ordered both held with no bail in a scathing address.
“The murdering of a young boy over articles of clothing (and) gym shoes demonstrates a total callous disregard over the precious nature of human life,” Brown said. “The citizens of this city need to be protected from these defendants.”
* Sun-Times…
In previous weeks [Dijae] Banks had exchanged clothing with [Jovan] Wilson’s 14-year-old brother, including a pair of shoes she lent him in exchange for a pair of pants, Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Bryan Grissman said at a court hearing Sunday.
Banks and [Tariq] Harris arrived Friday at the back door of the Wilson’s second-story apartment in the 5600 block of South Princeton Avenue with a message: Banks wanted the shoes back.
Wilson’s younger brother told Banks she wasn’t going to get the shoes back until she returned the pants he loaned her.
When Wilson’s brother opened the door slightly, both Harris and Banks forced their way in, at which point Banks pulled a gun and began threatening Wilson’s 16-year-old sister, prosecutors said.
Banks handed the gun to Harris and began to fight the girl.
As they battled, Harris held the gun and slid the safety on and off, Grissman said.
When Javon Wilson tried to separate his sister and Banks, Banks punched him with a closed fist. Wilson punched her back, Grissman said.
Banks then yelled at Harris for allowing the siblings to treat her this way.
“Harris then took a step back, raised the firearm and fired it one time, striking the victim in the neck,” Grissman said.
At the time of the shooting, Wilson’s adult uncle and a 19-year-old family friend were in the home, Grissman said.
* Politico…
On the weekend his grandson was shot to death, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis called on state, city and local authorities to declare a “state of emergency” in high crime, low-employment areas of the city.
Davis told POLITICO on Sunday that he does not want a paramilitary state, but a formal declaration that would allow resources to flow quickly into areas of the city that are facing a crisis of violence.
“I would call upon every unit of government to call a state of emergency need for these communities. So yes, I think we need immediate help. We don’t need something that’s going to take five or six years,” Davis said. “There are many inner-city communities throughout Illinois, especially in the Chicago metropolitan area, that need this kind of economic and social development.”
Davis said resources are needed immediately in areas where crime has reached the highest levels since the 1990s. The money would go toward boosting gang intervention, after-school programs, tutoring, job placement, mentor programs and economic development. Davis said some of the communities affected, including Englewood and North Lawndale, have 40 percent unemployment.
“In order to make that happen, the state of Illinois, the governor, would have to make such a determination. Same thing as the city council and the mayor. Individuals like myself can keep pushing,” said the Illinois Democrat.
* Related…
* Close-to-home murders another element of Chicago’s violent year
- DuPage - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:04 am:
Senseless.
- Macbeth - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:13 am:
Why isn’t Rauner helping MRE deal with this? Or at least acting like he — Rauner — is aware and actively helping Chicago with solutions?
- Amalia - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:13 am:
was the 17 year old on probation? and if so, what was going on with that kid, previous crimes, time in some facility, including juvy record.
also, parents…hello?!?
- m - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:15 am:
http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/08/chicagos-inescapable-segregation/496733/
This is what you’re up against.
Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in the country, by income and race. I don’t know how you undo a city that has been this way for so long.
How do you add jobs in areas where no one has money to spend?
How do you expect kids to work hard in school when they are surrounding by poverty and violence and the only people who have money are drug dealers and gang members?
- Amalia - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:19 am:
Meanwhile, Judges, you can do something about keeping people in at bond hearings OR letting them out. You don’t have to wait for a Tom Dart plan. per a letter in the Tribune yesterday, Thomas A. Wartowski, a former ASA in Winnebago County, did a piece on this, and apparently Chicago Appleseed took him seriously IN 2013…please read decision makers and do your job.
http://www.chicagoappleseed.org/bailing-out-of-a-medieval-system/
- illinois Bob - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:23 am:
=The money would go toward boosting gang intervention, after-school programs, tutoring, job placement, mentor programs and economic development.=
In other words, jobs he can dole out to his campaign workers. What about increased police presence, tougher sentences for possession of illegal firearms, and, God forbid, a call out for more two parent households so that kids get some values and respect human life?
- Illinois Bob - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:26 am:
IT’s about more than money, folks. It’s about the values and respect for life you learn from a father and mother when growing up. How many ridiculously rich athletes and entertainers develop drug and violence problems? If money was the answer, that wouldn’t be happening.
- Illinois Bob - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:28 am:
What’s the difference between a “state of emergency” and a “community problem”? A “state of emergency” is what you have when a powerful politician is affected by the problem…..
- DAN S - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:28 am:
Here’s an idea: lets through money at the problem, hopefully somebody else’s money, because that has worked so often in the past.
- to the point - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:35 am:
It’s the culture. And it’s a culture that accepts as the norm a out of wedlock birth rate for black children of approximately 80%.No amount of money poured into “programs” is going to have any discernible benefit until the culture changes.
- Downstate - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:36 am:
What a deplorable waste. All over clothing! My condolences to Rep. Davis and his family. An absolute tragedy.
My suggestion is instilling some sense of responsibility and education in these families.
I’ve always wondered why welfare checks aren’t tied to children’s school attendance.
- Cassandra - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:48 am:
Some teenagers get into a fight over borrowed clothing which ends tragically. And tragically, there was a gun available to one of the participants, which greatly increased the risk to all. If the alleged perpetrator hadn’t had a gun,
it is likely that the young man would still be living.
AS the song goes, when will we ever learn..
- ExCMS - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:49 am:
How can “more police” help? Certainly wouldn’t have made a difference in the Davis case.
- The All Knowing Oz - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:49 am:
Gee.. I thought obamas’ 8 years in office would solve all these problems. NOT!!!!
- Responsa - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:55 am:
It looks and feels very hopeless. I feel so sad for Cong. Davis and his family. The story being given of how the shooting went down is just hideous.
Declaring a State of Emergency sounds surface good until a few shots are fired to regain order and blood is shed. Then all heck will break loose in the streets in retaliation and even more innocents will die and businesses be lost.
Also, those that strongly support the Sanctuary City idea for what they may consider legitimate moral reasons never quite manage to explain how adding even more potential workers into (or near) communities where there are already insufficient work opportunities and housing does not exacerbate the violence and the crime statistics. The Sanctuary City supporters too seldom discuss the way in which the Latin and Black gang wars have escalated and membership/affiliation in them has become younger and even less disciplined, as a greater number of desperate individuals fight over less turf and promise.
- YSW - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:56 am:
Yep it’s a cultural problem.
A culture that redlines black families out of the capital necessary to start small businesses.
A culture that jails black people at a vastly disproportionate rate, locking up far more black people than white people for drug offenses despite no difference in usage.
A culture that eviscerates mental health and childcare services and then acts surprised when communities deteriorate.
A culture where a cop can gun down a black juvenile in the street and remain on the job for over a year with no repercussions until a journalist successfully sues to expose the video.
A cultural problem alright.
- Belle - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 11:07 am:
Second City Cop has an interesting take on this since apparently one of them should have been in jail..one of them should have been in jail but was let out…sorry Rep . It’s the 2nd article.
http://secondcitycop.blogspot.com/
- Belle - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 11:11 am:
Sorry. That post is a mess.
Basically, I was trying to say it’s a horrid situation for yet another family in Chicago. There are way too many murders this year and that now number more than a combo of LA and NYC. Read the posting on 2nd City Cop for further info.
- LessAnon? - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 11:13 am:
This is a horrible story. Senseless. Depraved. Any number of descriptions. Would a state of emergency have prevented it? No. Unless everyone is going to be patted down for illegal weapons in a given area - which is not realistic - a state of emergency isn’t going to do much. Sadly, typical.
- A guy - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 11:32 am:
Condolences to Rep. Davis. Every victim is related to someone who’s heart breaks because of the senselessness of all of this. I like Danny. We don’t agree on much. But, I like him a lot and mourn his loss.
- sal-says - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 11:33 am:
Guess it wasn’t an ‘emergency’ til a Pol’s family is affected. This am’s 2016 Chicago tally: 3953 shot; 639 killed.
Maybe our US Congress should wake up about background checks & frequent gun buys.
- Liandro - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 11:37 am:
I realize that it is very hard to judge, from the outside, how appropriate and effective any anti-violence steps have been. That said, I’ve always been shocked at how little seemed to be done about Chicago’s violence compared to the scope of the problem. There are many people born into meager opportunities…and I’m left with the impression that little is done about it. It truly is a state of emergency for countless citizens born into truly dangerous environments and meager opportunities.
- Cassandra - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 12:38 pm:
Even if the residents of these economically besieged high-crime areas were of a mind to move in order to reduce the risk to their children, it wouldn’t be that easy. The Chicago area is highly segregated racially and economically, and a family wishing to move, say, to one of the leafy green suburbs along the lake, with great schools and low crime and lots of resources for kids, they’d find it very difficult. Affordable housing (even for the middle class) is scarce and so are low to moderate income residents. Indeed, many comparatively well-off families pay more for housing than is economically advisable, just to
access those services and improve their children’s life prospects. The opportunities for low-income families to reside in these areas are practically non-existent, whatever the fair housing statutes say.
- Quill - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 12:41 pm:
“It’s the culture. And it’s a culture that accepts as the norm a out of wedlock birth rate for black children of approximately 80%.No amount of money poured into “programs” is going to have any discernible benefit until the culture changes.”
That’s a racist, dogwhistle thing to say. Calling it like it is. Huge condolences for Congressman Davis and his family. He has fought for so many years to prevent exactly this from happening.
- Rocky Rosi - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 12:44 pm:
The event was very sad. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family. The only way to stop this senseless violence is to change the culture of misguided music, fatherless homes, ed. system that put kids first, and financial opportunities for people in underserved areas.
- blogman - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 12:52 pm:
The Tribune article says the kid that was charged was allowed to drop out of 8th grade. Why do we allow this to happen.
- Corporate Pig - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 12:53 pm:
- Why isn’t Rauner helping MRE deal with this? Or at least acting like he — Rauner — is aware and actively helping Chicago with solutions? -
Yeah, it’s Rauner’s fault. Don’t worry things will get much better when Dart starts letting criminals out of jail without posting bond.
Hopefully Trump will remove the “Justice” Department from Chicago and the cops can go back to doing there jobs.
As of right now 712 people (and folks) killed in Chicago this year. Has Danny Davis blamed the residents of Mount Greenwood yet?
- Hit or Miss - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 1:04 pm:
===IT’s about more than money, folks.===
Is it not also about guns?
- Last Bull Moose - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 1:16 pm:
Heartfelt condolences to the family. It is hard to lose a child. Harder still when there seems to be no point to the loss.
Everyone lives in their own reality. How different those realities can be is shown in the postings on this topic.
Despite racism, segregation, and the aftereffects of slavery, some black families have managed to move out of the cycle of despair and violence. I would have hoped that Danny Davis would have been able to lift up the younger generations in his family. So sorry it did not work this time.
- Illinois Bob - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 1:30 pm:
@Hit or Miss
=Is it not also about guns?=
Actually, it is. I could find no reference to whether this gun was legally bought or was an illegal “street” gun. My guess it was illegal and purchased form a gang. If it were bought legally and there was a legit carry permit involved, you could bet that would have been the meme…
- Illinois Bob - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 1:35 pm:
I wish someone would explain to me what the heck was going on with a grandson of a Congressman apparently being so financially deprived that he has to live in crime ridden Englewood? Good parents often work their tails off to be able to move to safer neighborhoods for their kids so that they don’t associate with bums like these. With the resources at Davis’ disposal, there’s really no excuse for his family being put at such risk….what’s wrong with him?
- Illinois Bob - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 1:40 pm:
With cooperation of local police and government, Obama could’ve put tremendous resources on the ground to deal with the murderous gang violence in Chicago. As in the Capone years, it took the Feds to come into town to go after the bad guys. I guess things haven’t changed that much. Obama could’ve saturated the South and West sides where the gang violence occurs the most with the FBI, DEA and ATF. Anybody know why he didn’t? I have a strange feeling that Trump may do just that to address the problem likely over the objection of Rahm….
- Illinois Bob - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 1:46 pm:
@Cassandra
=The opportunities for low-income families to reside in these areas are practically non-existent, whatever the fair housing statutes say.=
Absolutely wrong, Cassie. There is abundant section 8 Housing available in the West and South suburbs and fair housing is really vigilant about policing discrimination around Chicago. I was a landlord there for abut 35 years. I know. Every time I rented out a place there was at least one “tester” ensuring I conform with the law. I never had a complaint. It’s not just the law, it’s the right thing to do..
- AlfondoGonz - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 1:55 pm:
Those of you judging Rep. Davis for calling for a “State of Emergency” now simply don’t understand that for drastic measures to gain traction, the timing must be right. It will be a lot harder for his colleagues to ignore his plea while he mourns his son.
Or continue to disparage a grandfather who is trying to take action to safen our community as he buries his grandson. Your call.
- Rocky Rosi - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 2:18 pm:
@Illinois Bob
= there’s really no excuse for his family being put at such risk….what’s wrong with him?=
There are different points of view in different cultures. Most African American Congressional reps come from underserved districts and many don’t have relationships with elites to help family members. Congressman Davis lives in the district and fights for the people in his district. Nothing is wrong with him.
- Rambling Rant - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 2:21 pm:
You can choose your friends, but you cannot choose your family. It baffles me that both Representative Davis (grandson) and Representative Rush (son) have had family members murdered in Chicago. This is outrageous.
I was somewhat shocked to learn that Davis’ grandson was living in Englewood. Everyone talks about banning guns, but could someone denounce the thug culture too? An argument over a pair of shoes ends up in a homicide — unreal. Worse still, the open door jail system allowed one defendant out and he committed the murder when he could have been incarcerated. Not a good endorsement for Toni Preckwinkle’s catch and release program.
- Downstate - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 2:23 pm:
AlfondoGonz,
I too thought that a “state of emergency” made sense. But, the BIG problem is how do you exit the state of emergency?
I don’t want to sound callous, but it’s the same problem we face in Iraq and Afghanistan. We can take over an area (be it a neighborhood, community or nation), but what happens next?
Once someone occupies it (Natl. Guard, State police, etc.) they own the problem(s). Without a long term play, it’s foolish to contemplate such a response, because exiting the situation creates a vacuum in which peace and prosperity rarely follow.
- AlfondoGonz - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 2:32 pm:
Downstate:
I’m not necessarily defending the substance of the idea, I’m only defending the course of conduct. It seems a lot of posters think that Davis has only taken action because he has been touched (implying he never cared until now); I’d suggest that he is now taking action because he has a platform to do so. The merits of the action, I’m not qualified to speak on.
- Illinois Bob - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 3:48 pm:
@Rocky Rossi
NBC estimated Rep Davis net worth as between $250K and $640K. While that may not be as wealthy as OW and Rich, it certainly would be enough to help family from being in that kind of neighborhood. If you don’t think he has the clout to get either patronage jobs or jobs with politically connected vendors for his kids and grandkids, you pretty much know nothing about the way Chicago politics works….
- blue dog dem - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 4:09 pm:
It won’t bring anyone back to life, but old Blue is cold and callous. Bring back the death penalty. Expedite the process. Enough is enough.
- DMC - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 4:12 pm:
What’s the difference between a “state of emergency” and a “community problem”? A “state of emergency” is what you have when a powerful politician is affected by the problem…..
Exactly. How long has this guy been in office???
- Great Leadership Please - Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 8:58 pm:
This terrible situation is primarily about one thing…Lack of Leadership. NYC and LA have improved their homicide statistics dramatically. Chicago has fallen down a deep well into one of the worst managed cities, in terms of crime & safety and needs to be fixed.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/home/poa_crime.shtml
Theo Epstein in baseball, is what chicago needs in leadership and policing. Get somebody REALLY GREAT at their job. Let them do their work. Let them hire & bring on the best they can find. And create a winning team.
Yes, Baseball and law enforcement are very different…but both need great leaders to create a winning situation.