Updated. Evanston Police responded to a call of shots fired in the 1800 block of Hovland Court at approximately 2 a.m. this morning, Dec. 12, said Commander Jay Parrott of the Evanston Police Department. Police located a gun-shot victim in the rear alley of the 1700 block of Grey Avenue. The victim, now identified as Javar Bamberg, age 23 of Evanston, was shot in head and deceased on the scene, said the Commander.
Evanston Police detectives along with the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force are investigating the homicide. “The investigation at this time has shown that this is not a random act and that the victim was specifically targeted,” said the Commander.
This was the third shooting in the last two weeks, and the second which resulted in a fatality. On Nov. 29, Justin Murray, 19, was shot and killed in the 1800 block of Brown Avenue. Chief Eddington told the RoundTable last week that it was uncertain “whether Justin was the target or whether the target was other people he was standing with.”
On Dec. 8, at approximately 1:50 a.m., a 20-year old Evanston man was shot multiple times as he exited a vehicle on Howard Street. The victim “appears to have been specifically targeted by two offenders,” said Commander Parrott on Dec. 8. “Preliminary indicators are that this incident is in retaliation for a recent homicide that occurred a little over a week ago. The victim in this incident was transported to St. Francis Hospital and is in critical condition.”
“The Evanston Police Department has increased its presence in the neighborhoods surrounding these recent incidents to reduce the concerns of safety from the general public,” said Commander Parrott. He added that no further information is being released regarding the shooting of Javar Bamberg at this time.
The Evanston Police Department asks that anyone with information regarding this homicide to call the department at (847) 866-5000 or utilize Text-A-Tip anonymously by texting the keyword EPDTIP to 274637 (CRIMES) with text information.