Author: Don Babwin
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Police: Parade shooting suspect contemplated 2nd shooting
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. • The man charged with killing seven people at an Independence Day parade confessed to police that he unleashed a hail of bullets from a rooftop in suburban Chicago and then fled to the Madison, Wisconsin, area, where he contemplated shooting up an event there, authorities said Wednesday. The suspect turned back…
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Biden pardons former Secret Service agent and 2 others
WASHINGTON • President Joe Biden has granted the first three pardons of his term, providing clemency to a Kennedy-era Secret Service agent convicted of federal bribery charges that he tried to sell a copy of an agency file and to two people who were convicted on drug-related charges but went on to become pillars in…
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No charges against 2 Chicago officers in fatal shootings
CHICAGO • No charges will be filed against the Chicago police officers who chased and fatally shot 13-year-old Adam Toledo and 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez within days of each other last year, prompting criticism of how the department handles foot pursuits, a prosecutor announced Tuesday. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said there was insufficient evidence…
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Smollett declines to speak at sentencing in staged attack
CHICAGO • Jussie Smollett declined to make a statement Thursday during his sentencing hearing for lying to police in a staged hate crime, saying he agreed with his attorney’s advice to remain quiet. Smollett’s decision came after special prosecutor Dan Webb asked Cook County Judge James Linn to include “an appropriate amount of prison time”…
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Smollett convicted of staging attack, lying to police
CHICAGO • Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett was convicted Thursday on charges he staged an anti-gay, racist attack on himself nearly three years ago and then lied to Chicago police about it. In the courtroom as the verdict was read, Smollett stood and faced the jury, showing no visible reaction. The jury found the 39-year-old…
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Jury begins deliberations in trial of actor Smollett
CHICAGO • The jury in Jussie Smollett’s trial started deliberating Wednesday, after a prosecutor said there is “overwhelming evidence” that the former “Empire” actor lied to police about being the victim of an anti-gay, racist attack and his defense attorney said the charges are based on lies. The deliberations began after a roughly one-week trial…
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Smollett back on stand after calling hoax claim ‘100% false’
CHICAGO • Jussie Smollett on Tuesday repeatedly denied he staged a racist, anti-gay attack on himself for publicity, telling a prosecutor as the trial neared its end that “there was no hoax on my part” and that two brothers who testified against him are “liars.” Lawyers for the former “Empire” actor rested their case shortly…
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Detective: Brothers recounted how Jussie Smollet staged hoax
CHICAGO • Two brothers arrested for an alleged attack on Jussie Smollett told Chicago police how the ex-“Empire” actor orchestrated the hoax, telling them via text message to meet him “on the low,” paying for supplies and holding a “dry run” in downtown Chicago, the lead investigator testified Tuesday. Taking the stand as prosecutors began…
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Chicago police union head urges cops to defy vaccine mandate
CHICAGO • The head of the Chicago police officers union has called on its members to defy the city’s requirement to report their COVID-19 vaccination status by Friday or be placed on unpaid leave. In the video posted online Tuesday and first reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara vowed…
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Chicago teachers strike ends after 11 days without school
CHICAGO • Chicago teachers and the nation’s third-largest school district reached a labor contract deal on Thursday, ending a strike that canceled 11 days of classes for more than 300,000 students. Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that the district had reached a deal with the Chicago Teachers Union after months of unsuccessful negotiations led to the…