On Sept. 15, Evanston resident Cesario Cox Sr., 45, was shot in the head one time while he was standing on the rear porch of a residence in the 1900 block of Emerson Street, said Commander Joseph Dugan of the Evanston Police Department.
Four men entered the backyard from an alley, approached the rear porch and began firing gunshots, said the Commander. The assailants fled the scene going westbound on foot.
Commander Dugan said Mr. Cox was visiting the residence and was standing on the porch with a man approximately his age and several younger men. Mr. Cox may not have been the intended target, said the Commander. He was transported to Evanston Hospital in critical condition. On Sept. 18, Mr. Cox died as a result of the gunshot wound, said the Commander.
This was the third homicide in Evanston this year.
On Aug. 31 at approximately 1:20 a.m., Donte Blackwell, 23 years old and a resident of Niles, was shot once in the torso while he was with another person in the area of the 1800 block of Dodge Avenue. According to witnesses, two male offenders rode up on bicycles and fired gunshots, said the Commander.
On June 8 at approximately 1:45 p.m., Roy C. Owens, 27 years old and a resident of Chicago, was found shot multiple times inside a vehicle that was in the area of the 2000 block of Emerson, said Commander Dugan.
The Evanston Police Department detective division is continuing to investigate these shootings and following up on leads, said the Commander.
Anyone with information regarding the shootings is asked to call the Evanston Police Department non-emergency number at 847-866-5000 and ask for the detective bureau or utilize Text-A-Tip by sending an anonymous text message to CRIMES (274637) and typing EPD TIP in the message line followed by the information.