CHICAGO — Prosecutors say a man on bail for illegally possessing a machine gun shot five people and accidentally shot one of his accomplices during a drive-by on Chicago’s West Side last month.
The early morning shooting killed Ashley Griggs, the 41-year-old mother of Carnell Tate, a standout freshman in Ohio State’s football program.
Manuel Bahamon, 22, and Ismael Lozada, 23, are each charged with one count of first-degree murder and four counts of attempted first-degree murder.
Judge Charles Beach held both men without bail during a court hearing on Friday afternoon.
Bahamon is the 17th person accused of shooting, killing, or trying to shoot or kill someone in Chicago this year while awaiting trial for a felony. The cases involve at least 28 victims, nine of whom died.
The events began early on July 16 when Bahamon, Lozada, and a third person who remains at large saw the victims shooting dice in the 4000 block of West Washington, prosecutors explained in a written proffer provided by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
At about 2:24 a.m., the person still at large drove both men and three witnesses back to the same block to look for the victims, the proffer said. Prosecutors did not explain why they went back to look for the group.
As they rolled down the block in a silver Infiniti, Bahamon and Lozada allegedly opened fire on the crowd from the car’s passenger windows.
Griggs was shot ten times in the head and died, according to prosecutors. Suffering non-fatal gunshot wounds were a 40-year-old woman and men ages 38, 39, and 42.
Bahamon unintentionally shot Lozada in the arm during the drive-by, and the Infiniti’s driver took him to Humboldt Park Health Center for treatment, prosecutors said.
In the following days, Bahamon texted and spoke with a witness about the shooting and sent news stories about the shooting to another witness, said the proffer. Both witnesses reported that Bahamon talked with them about his accidental shooting of Lozada.
Chicago police found video of the shooting and the car’s trip to the hospital. Inside the vehicle, they found Lozada’s phone, blood, and a shell casing that matched some of the 22 casings discharged at the crime scene, according to prosecutors.
Bahamon’s pending felony case began in the suburbs early in June 2022. Police responded to a suspicious person call and saw him walk into a yard where they knew he did not live, prosecutors alleged. Cops allegedly found a loaded handgun equipped with an automatic fire switch in his waistband.
Judge Kelly McCarthy ordered him to pay a $2,000 bail deposit to get out of jail on June 4, 2022. He has no other criminal background.
Lozada was adjudicated delinquent as a juvenile for aggravated discharge of a firearm, according to the bond proffer. He was convicted of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in 2019 and is currently on probation for a felony drug charge.
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.
Previous reporting
#6: Man killed 1, tried to kill another while on felony bail, prosecutors say (April 29, 2023)
#15: Hitman killed target while on bail for trying to disarm a cop, prosecutors say (July 22, 2023)