Update April 2, 2022 — The victim, identified as Michael Corbitt, 33, has died. Our original report follows.
Update April 5, 2022 — Prosecutors have now charged Hayes with one count of first-degree murder for the death of Corbitt. Two charges of attempted murder are also pending in this case.
Judge Charles Beach had a parting thought for Keyon Hayes at the end of the 20-year-old’s bail hearing on felony gun charges in November.
“Mr. Hayes, you seem like a reasonable young man, and it seems like you care about your future,” Beach began. “If that’s the case, start making decisions commensurate with that type of concern … The fastest way to go down in a spiral is to be in possession of a weapon. It’s as simple as that. Good luck to you, sir.”
On Saturday evening, free on a recognizance bond set by a subsequent judge and wearing an ankle monitor that was supposed to enforce a 24-hour curfew, Hayes allegedly opened fire on his ex-girlfriend’s house in the Austin neighborhood. One of the bullets struck a man in the head, leaving him “brain dead,” Assistant State’s Attorney Loukas Kalliantasis said. The man’s family was trying to decide how to proceed.
Hayes is the 12th person charged with killing or shooting — or trying to shoot or kill — someone in Chicago this year while awaiting trial for a felony. The alleged crimes involve at least 21 victims, five of whom died.
Curfew
In early November, Chicago police allegedly saw Hayes carrying a black satchel with an extended ammunition magazine sticking out of it. They arrested him.
Beach, the bond court judge, said Hayes could go home on a 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew by posting a deposit of $300 on a $3,000 bail. But Hayes could not raise the cash. Two months later, Judge Peggy Chiampas agreed to release Hayes on his own recognizance with a 24/7 curfew, according to court records.
The curfew would be enforced by an ankle monitor administered by the office of Chief Judge Timothy Evans. On Tuesday, Kalliantasis said officials were still trying to get GPS data from Hayes’ ankle monitor as evidence of his involvement in the shooting.
Last year, the chief judge’s office told us that curfew participants do not wear GPS-equipped bracelets. Instead, the court’s home monitoring system “only detects whether a body-worn device is in range of the base station during scheduled curfew hours.”
The shootings
On Friday, Hayes allegedly texted his ex-girlfriend, “So you going to ignore me? Don’t say nothing when you die.” The next evening, he left his house and went to a spot where he knew his ex and two of her friends would be hanging out, Kalliantasis said.
Hayes sent his ex another text that threatened to “nail” the two friends she was with, according to Kalliantasis. The group decided to leave their location.
As they did, Hayes approached the woman’s car and fired several rounds at her and one of the friends, Kalliantasis said. No one was injured.
About 30 minutes later, at 8:42 p.m., Hayes knocked on the woman’s front door. Someone let him in. He started arguing with her about their relationship, and he was asked to leave. He did. Then, he returned a few minutes later and fired shots into the home from the street, Kalliantasis alleged.
One of the friends, a 32-year-old man standing on the front porch, was struck in the head and knee. The other man, who saw Hayes shooting, escaped injury. Hayes’ ex was not injured.
ShotSpotter technology and 911 calls sent police to the scene. Officers arrested Hayes nearby after a short foot chase. They said they found a handgun that he dropped while running. Preliminary tests show it expended the five shell casings police found at the scene, Kalliantasis said.
Hayes allegedly admitted to shooting at the victims at the home and in the car.
In addition to the felony gun case, Hayes also has a pending felony manufacture-delivery case, said Kalliantasis.
Assistant Public Defender Suzin Farber said Hayes is the father of a small child and is in the 12th grade.
In November, a different public defender said he was a ward of the state. Hayes personally told Judge Beach that he was trying to get into the Job Corps. He pleaded with Beach to release him from custody so he could pursue that opportunity. After hearing Hayes speak, Beach lowered the amount he’d need to pay to get out of jail from $500 to $300 and delivered the speech we told you about earlier.
On Tuesday, Judge Maryam Ahmad presided over Hayes’ bail hearing. She ordered him held without bail on three counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery by discharging a firearm. She also ordered him held without bail for violating the bond terms in his two pending cases.
The “not horrible” series
This report continues our coverage of individuals who have been accused of murder, attempted murder, or shooting firearms toward people 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 less than 5% of non-fatal shootings and 33% of murders, according to the city’s data. You can support CWBChicago’s work by becoming a subscriber today.
