#33: Man killed his half-sister’s boyfriend while on electronic monitoring for shooting someone else, prosecutors say

Prosecutors say a Chicago man on electronic monitoring for allegedly shooting a woman in 2020 got another gun and killed his half-sister’s boyfriend in their home Saturday night.

Kevin Bennett is the 33rd person accused of killing or shooting—or attempting to kill or shoot—someone in Chicago while awaiting trial for a felony this year. The alleged crimes involved at least 67 victims, 15 of whom died.

Kevin Bennett | CPD

Bennett’s half-sister had been dating the 29-year-old victim for seven years, but they broke up in June after she accused him of domestic battery and a serious felony, prosecutors said. The woman decided not to pursue criminal charges, and the couple reconciled last month.

On August 28, they moved into her mother’s Woodlawn home, where Bennett also lived while on electronic monitoring in the 2020 shooting case.

Bennett was vocally displeased with the victim’s presence and repeatedly told his half-sister and their mother that he wanted to shoot and kill the victim, prosecutor Karen Swanson said.

Saturday night, when the victim and his girlfriend returned from a birthday party, Bennett was waiting in the dining room with the lights off and a gun in his hand, Swanson said.

He allegedly called the victim a “b*tch *ss n*gger” and said the victim probably believed Bennett wouldn’t do anything to him.

Then, from about five feet away, Bennett shot the man once on the left side of his chest, Swanson alleged. The man died.

Swanson said that Bennett’s half-sister locked herself in a bedroom with her mother, but Bennett kicked in the door and warned her not to tell the police what happened. He threatened to kill his half-sister while racking the gun’s slide as if it had jammed, according to Swanson.

He allegedly tossed the gun through a window into an abandoned home next door and ran. The sheriff’s office found his electronic monitoring bracelet lying on the ground more than six miles from the crime scene.

Chicago police found Bennett under a viaduct in Hyde Park on Sunday afternoon.

Investigators recovered a gun from the abandoned home where Bennett allegedly tossed it. Also inside the abandoned house was a cat belonging to Bennett’s mother. It had a shell casing in its mouth, which police took as evidence, Swanson said.

Bennett is a four-time convicted felon, Swanson said. He was charged in November 2020 with aggravated battery by discharging a firearm for allegedly shooting a 29-year-old woman in the 6900 block of South Clyde three months earlier. The case is still pending.

On Monday, Judge Mary Marubio held Bennet without bail on a charge of first-degree murder. She also revoked his bail in the 2020 shooting case.

Bennett’s defense attorney said he has bone cancer.

The “not horrible” series

This report continues our coverage of individuals accused of killing, shooting, or trying to kill or shoot others 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 brought charges 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.

#1: Man who tried to shoot 3 outside a North Side restaurant on New Year’s Day had a pending felony case, prosecutors say (January 6, 2022)

#2: Felon awaiting trial for 4 sexual assault cases escaped from electronic monitoring and tried to kill investigators who tracked him down, prosecutors say (January 15, 2022)

#3: With felony gun case pending, man shot passerby during “exchange of gunfire,” prosecutors say (January 23, 2022)

#4: Seven-time felon on electronic monitoring for his 4th gun case tried to shoot and kill his girlfriend’s father, prosecutors say (January 26, 2022)

#5: Teen on electronic monitoring for TWO gun cases carjacked a Lyft driver, then shot a 15-year-old at point-blank range, prosecutors say (February 10, 2022)

#6: Man killed nursing student months after going AWOL from felony DUI case, prosecutors say (February 20, 2022)

#7: Man shot and killed his own brother while on bail for a felony gun case, prosecutors say (February 22, 2022)

#8: Beloved Hyde Park bartender was killed by a robber who has 3 pending felony cases, prosecutors said (March 7, 2022)

#9: Man involved in New Year’s shoot-out that left one dead was on bail for his 3rd gun felony, prosecutors say (March 8, 2022)

#10: An 11-time convicted felon shot a 3-year-old and tried to kill the boy’s mother while on felony bail, prosecutors say (March 11, 2022)

#11: Man allegedly stabbed another to death 4 days after getting released on felony bail (March 29, 2022)

#12: He opened fire on his ex’s house, killing a man, prosecutors say. But he was supposed to be home 24/7 for a pending felony gun case. (March 29, 2022)

#13: Man shot a woman, fired toward 4 others, while on bond for being a felon in possession of a firearm, prosecutors say (April 7, 2022)

#14: Man killed his parents in an Uptown senior center while on bond for federal armed robbery and gun charges, prosecutors say (April 14. 2022)

#15: Four-time felon opened fire on a carload of victims, injuring 2 while on bond for felony gun case, prosecutors say (April 20, 2022)

#16: Man shot his ex this month and her boyfriend last month, prosecutors say. He was on felony bail. (April 24, 2022)

#17: Man tried to kill 2 cable TV installers over a missing dog, prosecutors say. He was on bail at the time. (April 30, 2022)

#18: Man escaped from electronic monitoring and ran over a cop in a stolen car while fleeing a murder scene, prosecutors say (May 19, 2022)

#19: A two-time felon circled a West Side neighborhood for 15 minutes looking for someone to kill in a revenge murder, prosecutors say. He was on bond for a gun case at the time. (May 21, 2022)

#20: Alleged mass shooter had a felony gun case pending when he killed 2, wounded 7 near Magnificent Mile, records show (May 22, 2022)

#21: Five months after escaping from electronic monitoring, he helped shoot up a carload of people, injuring 2, prosecutors say (May 29, 2022)

#22: Man accused of setting ‘Walking Man’ on fire has been AWOL from 2 felony cases for 15 months, court records show (May 30, 2022)

#23: Two weeks after being charged with having a stolen rifle in a hijacked car, he allegedly shot a man with a rifle after getting out of a hijacked car (June 11, 2022)

#24: Gunman left a woman paralyzed in River North just 4 weeks after officials sent his felony gun case to a “peace circle,” prosecutors say (June 13, 2022)

#25: Teen acted as murderer’s driver while awaiting trial for carjacking, stolen car cases: prosecutors say (July 6, 2022)

#26: Man shot victim 5 times, days after being charged in a felony narcotics case, prosecutors say (July 7, 2022)

#27: Concealed carry holder shot man who opened fire on his car at McDonald’s, prosecutors say (July 14, 2022)

#28: Terrorism, attempted murder charges filed against man who allegedly detonated bomb on Pink Line in May (August 8, 2022)

#29: Three-time felon shot robbery victim while on bail for felony gun case, prosecutors say (August 23, 2022)

#30: Concealed carry holder shoots 7-time felon who tried to kill him, prosecutors say. That man was on bail for a felony gun case. (August 25, 2022)

#31: Anti-violence worker, who’s also a 9-time felon, shot himself in the butt at a Bucktown gas station while on felony bail, prosecutors say (August 25, 2022)

#32: Killer shot motorcyclist 16 times while awaiting trial for a felony gun case, prosecutors say (September 1, 2022)

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