South Side Shootings: case wide open

So. Side Shootings: case wide open
by Andrew Davis
Copyright by The Windy City Times
2007-01-10


Police are still investigating the New Year’s Eve shootings of six males at a South Side party attended by mostly gay Black men.
Two masked individuals armed with semi-automatic weapons kicked open the doors of a home on the 7900 block of South Woodlawn and started shooting up the party. Six people were shot when the gunmen opened fire on about 100 partygoers about 5:30 a.m. The victims were all taken to local hospitals; two had suffered serious injuries.

The police Civil Rights Unit is helping to determine if the shooting was a hate crime, but it has not been classified as such yet. According to reports, neighbors repeatedly called the police concerning problems with the place.

In a statement to Windy City Times sent on Jan. 5, police spokeswoman Monique Bond said that “the investigation is ongoing. ... Detectives continue to talk to witnesses and victims. At this point in the investigation, we still have no information or evidence to investigate the case as a hate crime. However, [ the ] Civil Rights [ Unit ] is prepared to assist if needed.” She added that five of the victims had been released from area hospitals.

However, a Chicago politician—44th Ward Ald. Tom Tunney—may have provided some insight into the case. Tunney told radio station WBBM that he has met with investigators and was told that the shootings possibly started as an argument between partygoers.

He said that “ [ w ] e will continue to work with [ investigators ] and ask them to make sure that they uncover every clue to give full credibility to their investigation and the fact [ is ] that, while it sounds on the surface that it could be a hate crime and potentially somebody out there that could cause further damage, they actually believe it’s an isolated incident.”

In a statement issued Jan. 5, Chicago Commission on Human Relations Chairman Clarence N. Wood condemned those who issued homophobic comments to the media. ( The statement specifically cited a Chicago Sun-Times article that quoted a local as saying, “We always be seeing them, and they always be looking at people ... They give you that gay look, like you’re a female or something. That ain’t cute. People be ready to fight ... I knew something was going to happen to that house.” ) “While the police have not yet determined the motive of the shooting, it is extremely disturbing that anyone could believe that the victims somehow deserved to be shot because they were gay or ‘acted gay,’” Wood said.