COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — Before he died of his gunshot wounds, Alex Anderson named his killer three times to three different people, prosecutors said.
Anderson was fatally shot near his home in Portage Park on Jan. 20, according to authorities. He was with friends shortly after 10 p.m. when he walked by himself into an alley in the 4300 block of North Milwaukee Avenue and was shot twice.
Bleeding from a gunshot wound to his abdomen and "worried about dying," Anderson told one of the friends "Trea is the person who shot him," prosecutors said. He said the same to his girlfriend in a text message and later gave a police sergeant Trea's phone number.
Tremain Barnes, 18, was arrested in Columbus, Ga., Jan. 29 by the U.S. Marshal Service on a murder warrant issued by Chicago police, according to a statement from the marshals service.
He appeared briefly in court Wednesday. Cook County Donald Panarese Jr. ordered him held on $1 million bond.
A public defender representing Barnes said he is registered for school at Columbus State University and has resided in Georgia for the last two years.
Police initially said Anderson was injured while riding in a car in the 4300 block of North Milwaukee Avenue.
Anderson, who had been living with the Papish family in Portage Park since his grandmother died last summer, was shot in the left arm and abdomen. After being shot, Anderson went home, then was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he died.
Dave Papish said he was relieved there had been an arrest in his friend's murder.
"Maybe he can rest now," Papish said, adding that he still misses Anderson's funny walk and laugh.
Papish said he had never met Barnes and did not know what the connection between Barnes and Anderson was, or what led to the shooting.
Anderson worked at Hot Dog Express, 4300 N. Milwaukee Ave., but dreamed of pursuing music full time, friends said.
