#43 – Man shot victim 11 times while awaiting new trial in gun case, prosecutors say

September 22, 2021 CWBChicago Citywide
Keenan Levy | CPD

Prosecutors said a man convicted of illegal gun possession in 2018 shot another man eleven times while awaiting a new trial in the case earlier this year. Keenan Levy is the 43rd person accused of killing, trying to kill, or shooting someone in Chicago this year while awaiting trial for a felony.

Levy, 30, was found guilty of illegal gun possession during a bench trial in 2018 and was sentenced to two years, but he appealed the case, and a higher court reversed and remanded the case on May 12 of this year, according to court records.

Three weeks before the case was reversed, on April 22, Levy crossed paths with two men who’ve known him for several years at a barber’s house in West Pullman, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Darryl Auguste.

After spending about three hours in the home, the two men left and drove away, followed by Levy, who was driving his white Pontiac, Auguste said. When the two men stopped at their destination, Levy pulled up behind them, got out, and shot the 40-year-old victim eleven times at close range, according to Auguste.

A ShotSpotter gunfire detector registered 14 gunshots in the area, and police found 15 shell casings at the scene. The victim, who suffered gunshot wounds throughout his body, managed to survive and identified Levy by name to investigators, Auguste said.

A nearby business’ security system also recorded the shooting.

Levy failed to appear in court after his gun case was reversed, and a judge issued an arrest warrant for him in July. Authorities took him into custody last week.

Judge David Navarro ordered him held without bail on charges of attempted murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon in the new case. Navarro also ordered him held in lieu of $5,000 on the old gun case.

#44 – Attempted murder of ex-girlfriend

A Chicago man who was on bond for multiple charges stemming from a felony aggravated DUI and car crash was charged with attempted murder earlier this year after he repeatedly punched, kicked, choked, and threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend, according to prosecutors.

CWBChicago is not naming the man because doing so would result in the public identification of his victim. He is the 44th person accused of killing, trying to kill, or shooting someone in Chicago this year while on felony bond.

Prosecutors said the man, his ex, and another man got together to hang out in a motel room, but the other man eventually left, leaving the couple alone. The woman tried to leave after her ex-boyfriend ingested ecstasy and began acting erratically, according to prosecutors.

But the man punched her in the face, causing her to retreat to the bathroom. While she was seated in the bathroom, the man wrapped his hands around her neck and squeezed while making threats to kill her, prosecutors said. The woman tried to push him away, but she became faint, dizzy, and nauseous.

The man eventually released his grip on the woman’s neck and then dragged her out of the bathroom, punched her in the eye, forced her to undress, and threatened to kill her again, prosecutors said.

She managed to escape from the room after the man stumbled and fell while charging at her, she said.

Police arrested the man at the motel. Prosecutors said he admitted to trying to kill the woman by strangling her and said he told her to take off her clothes because he planned on electrocuting her in the bathtub.

Editor’s note: This report continues our coverage of individuals who have been charged with murder, attempted murder, or trying to kill a person while on bond for a pending felony case. CWBChicago began our series of reports in November 2019 after Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans publicly stated, “we haven’t had any horrible incidents occur” under the court’s bond reform initiative.

The actual number of murders and shootings committed by people on felony bail is undoubtedly much higher than the numbers seen here. Since 2017, CPD has made arrests in just 4% of shootings and 31% of murders, according to the city’s data.  You can support CWBChicago’s work by becoming a subscriber today.

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