I thought all guns were banned in Chicago?
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-reed11.html
News
Man charged in shooting that killed girl, 14
March 11, 2006
BY ANNIE SWEENEY AND STEFANO ESPOSITO Staff Reporters
A South Side man was charged Friday with opening fire on an Englewood street last week, aiming for his girlfriend's former boyfriend but hitting and killing a 14-year-old girl as she stood at her living room window, Chicago Police said.
Carail Weeks' intended target was standing in front of Starkesia Reed's home in the 6700 block of South Honore last Friday, Wentworth Area Cmdr. Pat Walsh said. But Weeks missed his target, and his gunfire struck several houses, including the home of the Harper High School honor student, who was inside her living room eating an orange, police said.
Police were still looking for the driver of a car that Weeks was in when he allegedly fired the shots.
Weeks has told investigators he was not involved in last Friday's shooting, saying he was spending time with his mother and was not out on the street either that Friday or Saturday, a law enforcement source said.
But one witness told investigators he was outside with Weeks on Saturday, the source said. On that day, an anxious Weeks pulled out a copy of a Sun-Times article and told the witness that a story about the shooting included a description of the suspect that seemed to match Weeks, the source said. Then, to emphasize the apparent match, Weeks pulled out his identification and showed it to the witness, the source said.
Weeks was carrying that identification when he was arrested, the source said.
The news of charges against Weeks brought some comfort to the Reed family. But the weapon used -- police said they think it was an AK-47 -- stunned Starkesia's oldest brother, Antoine Reed, 25.
Duncan calls for ban
"How can a person get a gun like that?'' said Reed, who is a teacher and coach at nearby Harper. "That is something you take to a war in Iraq. Why would you have something like that walking up and down the street?"
Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan called on legislators in Springfield to stand up to gun lobbying groups and approve a ban on assault weapons such as the AK-47.
"Legislators ... have to have the courage to not be held hostage by the NRA, to get these weapons out of the hands of citizens,'' Duncan said at a news conference called to announce the charges against Weeks.
Weeks has been arrested at least seven times, according to court records, including for drug possession and other minor offenses, but he was not known to police as being particularly violent or troublesome in the Englewood neighborhood, police said.
Immediately after the shooting, investigators focused on whether gang affiliations in the neighborhood were involved.
But Walsh said Friday that Weeks' girlfriend had an argument with her former boyfriend -- and Weeks shot at him in retaliation.
When asked if this was over a girl, Walsh said, "Simply put, yes."
However, one law enforcement source said the investigation into exactly why Weeks fired was still open.
No matter what the motive, Antoine Reed said the damage is already done to his family.
"My sister ain't coming back,'' he said. "We've just been praying. And as long as we keep on praying ... God's in control."
The Englewood community has a history of gang and drug activity, but Starkesia's shooting still upset many people there. Several rallies were held during the week to remember the teen -- a JROTC member at Harper and dancer at her church -- and also to urge people with information to come forward.
Walsh credited the community with apparently helping solve the crime: "I think the good citizens of the city saw that an innocent 14-year-old girl was shot, and they took a stand."
Contributing: Lisa Donovan
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-reed11.html
News
Man charged in shooting that killed girl, 14
March 11, 2006
BY ANNIE SWEENEY AND STEFANO ESPOSITO Staff Reporters
A South Side man was charged Friday with opening fire on an Englewood street last week, aiming for his girlfriend's former boyfriend but hitting and killing a 14-year-old girl as she stood at her living room window, Chicago Police said.
Carail Weeks' intended target was standing in front of Starkesia Reed's home in the 6700 block of South Honore last Friday, Wentworth Area Cmdr. Pat Walsh said. But Weeks missed his target, and his gunfire struck several houses, including the home of the Harper High School honor student, who was inside her living room eating an orange, police said.
Police were still looking for the driver of a car that Weeks was in when he allegedly fired the shots.
Weeks has told investigators he was not involved in last Friday's shooting, saying he was spending time with his mother and was not out on the street either that Friday or Saturday, a law enforcement source said.
But one witness told investigators he was outside with Weeks on Saturday, the source said. On that day, an anxious Weeks pulled out a copy of a Sun-Times article and told the witness that a story about the shooting included a description of the suspect that seemed to match Weeks, the source said. Then, to emphasize the apparent match, Weeks pulled out his identification and showed it to the witness, the source said.
Weeks was carrying that identification when he was arrested, the source said.
The news of charges against Weeks brought some comfort to the Reed family. But the weapon used -- police said they think it was an AK-47 -- stunned Starkesia's oldest brother, Antoine Reed, 25.
Duncan calls for ban
"How can a person get a gun like that?'' said Reed, who is a teacher and coach at nearby Harper. "That is something you take to a war in Iraq. Why would you have something like that walking up and down the street?"
Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan called on legislators in Springfield to stand up to gun lobbying groups and approve a ban on assault weapons such as the AK-47.
"Legislators ... have to have the courage to not be held hostage by the NRA, to get these weapons out of the hands of citizens,'' Duncan said at a news conference called to announce the charges against Weeks.
Weeks has been arrested at least seven times, according to court records, including for drug possession and other minor offenses, but he was not known to police as being particularly violent or troublesome in the Englewood neighborhood, police said.
Immediately after the shooting, investigators focused on whether gang affiliations in the neighborhood were involved.
But Walsh said Friday that Weeks' girlfriend had an argument with her former boyfriend -- and Weeks shot at him in retaliation.
When asked if this was over a girl, Walsh said, "Simply put, yes."
However, one law enforcement source said the investigation into exactly why Weeks fired was still open.
No matter what the motive, Antoine Reed said the damage is already done to his family.
"My sister ain't coming back,'' he said. "We've just been praying. And as long as we keep on praying ... God's in control."
The Englewood community has a history of gang and drug activity, but Starkesia's shooting still upset many people there. Several rallies were held during the week to remember the teen -- a JROTC member at Harper and dancer at her church -- and also to urge people with information to come forward.
Walsh credited the community with apparently helping solve the crime: "I think the good citizens of the city saw that an innocent 14-year-old girl was shot, and they took a stand."
Contributing: Lisa Donovan
