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Man Killed in Uptown Shooting After Gunshot-Filled Weekend, Neighbors Say

By Adeshina Emmanuel | September 15, 2014 11:46am | Updated on September 15, 2014 2:08pm
 The scene of a shooting in Uptown Monday morning. A man, in his 20s, was shot about 10:55 a.m. in the 4500 block of North Magnolia Avenue, according to police.
The scene of a shooting in Uptown Monday morning. A man, in his 20s, was shot about 10:55 a.m. in the 4500 block of North Magnolia Avenue, according to police.
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DNAinfo/Adeshina Emmanuel

UPTOWN — A man was shot to death in Uptown on Monday morning, police said.

The man, in his early 20s, was shot in the chest about 10:55 a.m. in the 4500 block of North Magnolia Avenue, according to police. 

He was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital, where police said he died from his wounds. Friends of the man and neighbors identified him as Uptown resident Christopher McGhee, 22.

Adeshina Emmanuel from the scene, where he spoke to someone who witnessed the shooting:

Uptown resident Junior Rodriguez said he watched the fatal shooting from behind an iron-wrought gate, where he stood in shock holding his 1-year-old daughter Jah-Nyce.

Rodriguez, 23, said he was just about to open his front gate when a black car pulled up in front of his apartment complex and "a man from the passenger side jumped out and started shooting."

After firing multiple shots at a man standing near Sunnyside and Magnolia avenues, the shooter got back into the car, which fled south on Magnolia, said Rodriguez. 

Both shooter and driver were wearing black hoodies, witnesses said.

Rodriguez's longtime girlfriend said she knew the victim from an alternative high school program they both attended at Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson Ave., where he was working on his GED.

"We just had a bond," said 21-year-old Eliza Mendez, adding that the victim would warn her to stay away from dangerous parts of the neighborhood.

Mendez, who has lived in Uptown for six years, said she ran into the street when she heard from a neighbor that her friend had been hit.

Mendez held back tears as she recounted what she said to him: "'Brother, brother, wake up.'" He opened his eyes to look at her, took a breath and closed his eyes, she said.

"[He] is a good guy," Rodriguez said. "He's a gang banger but he was always respectful to the older people."

Emily Agyeman grew up with McGhee and went to Von Steuben with him before he attended Truman.

"I think he may have been affiliated with a gang but I didn't really know that part about him," said the 23-year-old. "Every time I would see him, he would always smile and ask me how I'm doing. Such a nice young man."

McGhee's family was unreachable for comment Monday.

Over the weekend, neighbors reported hearing gunshots in the area, a part of Uptown known as territory for the Black P Stone street gang. The gang frequently clashes with members of the Convervative Vice Lord and Four Corner Hustlers street gangs, allies who frequent areas near Clarendon Park.

Rodriguez said he was headed to "the corner store to get some munchies" with his daughter when the shots rang out.

Now, he and Mendez are considering leaving Uptown.

"We want to leave, we have a baby now," Mendez said.

Rodriguez agreed: "I want to leave."

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