Prosecutors say a man who participated in a shoot-out that left one man dead fired a gun that appeared to generate automatic gunfire. And he allegedly did it while on bail with a pending case for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Two other men have been charged in the gun battle that played out early New Year’s Day in the 6000 block of South Bishop. Prosecutors previously said one of the men would have been charged with felony murder if legislators had not changed state law in last year’s omnibus criminal justice reform bill.
Antwyone Green is the ninth person charged with killing or shooting — or trying to shoot or kill — someone in Chicago this year while awaiting trial for a felony.
Prosecutors said that Green, 29, was among many people who rang in the new year at the Bishop Street house party. A large fight broke out around 5 a.m., and several men left the house.
After walking about a half-block, two men in the group began shooting toward the home, prosecutors said. Green, standing on the porch, allegedly took out a gun and returned fire. Prosecutors said a man in the group down the street was shot and killed during the gun battle.
Doorbell video shows Green taking out the weapon and firing the gun, which appeared to generate machine gun-like automatic fire, Assistant State’s Attorney Loukas Kalliantasis said.
ShotSpotter gunfire detectors recorded over 20 shots fired and police found 30 shell casings from different guns at the scene, according to Kalliantasis.
CPD records indicate that police sought murder charges against Green in the case, but prosecutors only charged him with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.
Judge Kelly McCarthy ordered Green held without bail in connection with the case. She also ordered him held without bail for violating his bond terms in the already-pending felony gun case.
Kalliantasis said Green was convicted of unlawful use of a weapon in 2017 and possession of a stolen motor vehicle in 2015. As a juvenile, he was adjudicated delinquent for aggravated discharge of a firearm in 2009 and residential burglary in 2008, according to Kalliantasis.
In February, prosecutors cited last year’s criminal justice reform bill for their decision not to charge another man who was allegedly involved in the shoot-out with felony murder.
Before the law changed, Tayvon Powe would have been charged with first-degree murder, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said, based on the legal theory that, by participating in the shoot-out, he was legally responsible for the death of his friend, Antonio Rankin, even if he did not personally shoot Rankin.
Instead, prosecutors charged Powe, 22, with aggravated discharge of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. Another man who allegedly fired at the house with Powe, Kimani Maddox, was charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, and other felonies on Friday.
Prosecutors said Powe and other “uncooperative individuals” took Rankin to St. Bernard Hospital after the shoot-out, where he died.
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 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.
