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Neighbors Of Woman Killed Near Police Headquarters 'Shocked'

By Evan F. Moore | May 22, 2016 1:35pm | Updated on May 27, 2016 11:53am
 Neighbors from this block in Bronzeville told DNAinfo that Yvonne Nelson was
Neighbors from this block in Bronzeville told DNAinfo that Yvonne Nelson was "quiet and kept to herself."
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DNAinfo/Evan F. Moore

BRONZEVILLE — When Solomon Emanuel stepped out of his Bronzeville home and saw a bunch of news trucks from various media outlets in front of the building he often did contract work in, he knew it wasn't good. 

"I asked the woman who operates the building what happened," Emanuel said. "She told me that 'Miss Vonnie' had passed away. She never bothered anybody."

Yvonne Nelson, 49, who lived in the 4900 block of South Vincennes Avenue, had just gotten coffee from a Starbucks a block west of Chicago Police headquarters when she stepped outside, was shot in the chest and was killed.

The incident happened shortly after police announced the arrests of 140 people in a major gang crackdown

Emanuel, who had known Nelson 14 years, called Nelson's shooting a microcosm of the systemic issues plaguing Chicago.

"It doesn't have to be this way. It's senseless crimes, senseless murders. We can do much better than this," Emanuel said. "What happened can't be harnessed in one, simple conversation. When you have a group of people who have lost sight of education and are unemployed, you're bound to have this happen."

Many of Nelson's neighbors told DNAinfo that they were "shocked" and "devastated" that one of their community members had been killed. They said that Nelson was "quiet and kept to herself."

Kat Barnes, a neighbor of Nelson, said she heard about the shooting from an online neighborhood watch group. 

"I saw a neighbor post about it. I was really surprised. You would think that Starbucks wouldn't be a place where violence happens," Barnes said. "Even though I didn't know her [Nelson], it's sad to hear. This is a quiet neighborhood, and the people are friendly."

Nelson was a dispatcher for 14 years with the city's 311 center, according to city records. 

The Office of Emergency Management and Communications where Nelson worked, released a statement on May 20:

"Yvonne Nelson was a dedicated and hardworking employee of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, where she served as a communications operator in the 311 City Services division since 2002. Our thought and prayers are with her family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time. She will be deeply missed by her fellow staff at 311."

Emanuel said that his longtime neighbor's slaying set up a series of unintended consequences.

"When I came up, we had a sense of purpose and a sense a direction," Emanuel said. "I had a choice, but I'm not out here shooting people. You have no idea what people will do when their back is up against a wall."

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