Update 3:59 p.m. — Based on statements made by CPD, the deceased man, Darion Blackman, is the 51st person accused of killing, trying to kill, or shooting another person in Chicago this year while on felony bail.
Update 3:20 p.m. — In addition to being on bail for a felony gun offense in Cook County, Blackman was also charged with a felony gun offense in Will County over the summer. Once again, the Illinois Department of Corrections decided not to revoke his parole for the alleged violation.
Update 7:09 a.m. — The Cook County medical examiner’s office has now publicly identified the deceased man as Darion Blackman. Our original report, which did not refer to him by name, follows.
A suspected catalytic converter thief was shot dead by a concealed carry holder on the North Side late Wednesday, according to a source and initial information from Chicago police. What’s more, CWBChicago has learned that the dead man was on parole, and he was charged with illegally possessing a firearm two months ago — but state authorities decided not to revoke his parole, and he was released back onto the streets.
Around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday, a 44-year-old man was sitting on the steps of his home when he heard a loud noise coming from the street in the 2900 block of North Wolcott in West Lakeview, police said. He investigated the noise and discovered two men under a vehicle.
The two men both drew guns and began shooting at him without warning, police said. The concealed carry holder pulled out his own gun and returned fire, striking one of the men in the neck, according to police.
That man, age 25, collapsed on a nearby sidewalk with a gun under his arm, according to officers at the scene. He was pronounced dead at 12:07 a.m. by a doctor at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
Witnesses said a man carrying a saw escaped in a Dodge Durango occupied by at least one other person. Police determined that the Durango, which was previously reported stolen, made its way to the Loop and River North after the shooting, but no arrests were made.
Police were interviewing the concealed carry holder overnight.
CWBChicago is not identifying the man who was killed because authorities have not released it. However, state records indicate he was released from prison in April after serving half of a four-year sentence he received for possessing a stolen motor vehicle.
Chicago police arrested him for illegally possessing a firearm on a West Side street in September. The next day, a judge ordered him held without bail at the request of the Illinois Department of Corrections, which wanted to review his parole status, according to bond court notes maintained by CWBChicago. But state officials decided not to send him back to prison for a parole violation, and they released their hold.
The bond court judge set bail in the gun case at $5,000 with electronic monitoring, meaning the man would have needed $500 to get out of jail on home confinement after the state released its hold. But sheriff’s office records indicate the man was not enrolled in the electronic monitoring program as recently as Tuesday, so another judge may have changed his release conditions.
Just two days ago, three catalytic converter thieves threatened to shoot a man who interrupted their work in Bucktown, according to a CPD report and a neighborhood Facebook group post. The man was investigating a car alarm on the 2000 block of West Shakespeare when the thieves pulled out a gun and said, “you don’t want to do that,” a relative of the man said in the post.
The thieves got away with the man’s catalytic converter but did not fire any shots.
“They were in a silver Infiniti and [they] waved at him as they left,” she said.
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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- #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)
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- #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)
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- #17: 16-year-old charged with murder, robbery in alleged pot dealer rip-off (April 19, 2021)
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- #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)
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- #26: Shooter in murder-suicide was on bail for two pending gun felonies, police say (July 6, 2021)
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- #29: On electronic monitoring for gun case, man escapes and shoots victim in the face, prosecutors say (July 23, 2021)
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- #31: Man shot 2 victims in separate robberies while on bail for felony gun case, prosecutors say (July 25, 2021)
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- #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)
- #43: Man shot victim 11 times while awaiting new trial in gun case, prosecutors say (September 22, 2021)
- #44: Man charged with trying to kill his girlfriend while on felony bond (September 22, 2021)
- #45: Man beat, shot at his pregnant girlfriend while free on felony case, prosecutors say (September 26, 2021)
- #46: Man shot woman during argument over phone messages while on bail for felony gun case, prosecutors say (October 10, 2021)
- #47: Twice-convicted gun offender shot man while on bail for another gun case and escape, prosecutors say (October 12, 2021)
- #48: Five-time felon killed his own cousin while on electronic monitoring for pending narcotics case, prosecutors say (November 3, 2021)
- #49: Gunman shot a passing car while firing across Chicago Avenue — and while on felony bond (November 6, 2021)
- #50: Uber driver was murdered by a man who was on felony bail, federal prosecutors say. But that’s only part of the story. (November 8, 2021)