
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.
Related 2021 stories
- #1: 16-year-old charged with shooting man during robbery while awaiting trial for felony (January 12, 2021)
- #2: Man fatally shot girlfriend while on electronic monitoring for November gun case, prosecutors say (January 20, 2021)
- #3: On bail for 3 separate felony cases, “fanged” man now charged with killing 12-year-old in DUI crash (January 23, 2021)
- #4: Man on affordable bail for his 3rd felony gun case is charged with weekend murder (January 28, 2021)
- #5: Man charged with murder while on bail for 3rd gun case and escape (February 5, 2021)
- #6: Man, on bail for attempted murder and robbery, charged with killing woman while speeding away from police traffic stop (February 25, 2021)
- #7: Teen accused of shooting driver during Wednesday carjacking is awaiting trial for 3 felonies, prosecutors say (February 25, 2021)
- #8: “Highly active” gang member charged with killing rival over haircut — while on affordable bail (March 4, 2021)
- #9: On bail for five burglaries, man set fire to home, killing girlfriend and 10-year-old girl, prosecutors say (March 12, 2021)
- #10: Man, on bail for gun case, is charged with attempted murder for shooting at carjacking victims (March 17, 2021)
- #11: Man who shot cop and passerby hoped to be killed by CPD, prosecutors say (March 20, 2021)
- #12: Man charged with shooting co-worker while on affordable bail for Lincoln Park carjacking (April 2, 2021)
- #13 and #14: Two more men charged with shooting people in Chicago while on bail for felony cases (April 4, 2021)
- #15: Man murdered childhood friend while awaiting trial on federal gun charges, prosecutors say (April 13, 2021)
- #16: Man chased down and killed victim while on electronic monitoring for gun case, prosecutors say (April 18, 2021)
- #17: 16-year-old charged with murder, robbery in alleged pot dealer rip-off (April 19, 2021)
- #18: Man charged murder of 7-year-old at McDonald’s drive-thru has 2 pending felony cases, prosecutors say (April 25, 2021)
- #19: Second man charged with killing 7-year-old at McDonald’s was on 4 felony bonds, including robbery and gun cases (May 1, 2021)
- #20: Gunman in Diversey River Bowl shoot-out was on bail for another gun case, prosecutors say (June 2, 2021)
- #21: Man’s accused of shooting up another car in traffic — while on bond for gun case (June 10, 2021)
- #22: Man charged with attempted murder of CTA bus driver was AWOL in felony DUI case, prosecutors say (June 10, 2021)
- #23 and #24: Two more men accused of shooting people while on bail for felonies (June 13, 2021)
- #25: Man on bail for 2 felonies had pistol at hospital where his girlfriend was being treated for gunshot wound, prosecutors say (June 25, 2021)
- Man charged with shooting tourist, killing passerby while AWOL on gun case, prosecutors say (June 26, 2021)
- #26: Shooter in murder-suicide was on bail for two pending gun felonies, police say (July 6, 2021)
- #27: Teen charged with killing 73-year-old carjacking victim was AWOL in felony stolen car case, prosecutors say (July 17, 2021)
- #28: Man on felony bail killed another driver during highway robbery attempt, prosecutors say (July 17, 2021)
- #29: On electronic monitoring for gun case, man escapes and shoots victim in the face, prosecutors say (July 23, 2021)
- #30: Man, on bond for gun case, shot woman 10 times in her back, prosecutors say (July 23, 2021)
- #31: Man shot 2 victims in separate robberies while on bail for felony gun case, prosecutors say (July 25, 2021)
- #32: Teen with pending felony gun case shot man dead over shoulder bump, prosecutors say (July 28, 2021)
- #33: Gunman in mass shooting was on $200 bond for pending firearms case, prosecutors say (August 12, 2021)
- #34: Man tried to kill stranger during 8-minute random attack inside Lincoln Park store, prosecutors say (August 12, 2021)
- #35: Man murdered another in cold blood while on bond for gun case, prosecutors say (August 12, 2021)
- #36: Uber Eats driver was gunned down in random attack by man who’s on bond for gun case, prosecutors say (August 14, 2021)
- #37: Man’s charged with trying to kill 2 cops while on a recognizance bond for injuring 2 cops who tried to arrest him in March (August 19, 2021)
- #38: Man killed one, shot another while on bond for being a felon in possession of a firearm, prosecutors say (August 25, 2021)
- #39 – Man’s charged with two separate shootings while AWOL on burglary charge (September 8, 2021)
- #40: Chef is accused of slashing friend’s throat while on bond for allegedly stabbing his own brother to death (September 9, 2021)
- #41: Man charged with firing 14 shots during carjacking — while on recognizance bond for stolen car case (February 10, 2021)
- #42 – Man killed 1, injured 3 in expressway shooting while on bond for attempted murder, prosecutor say (September 11, 2021)