
Alderwoman Emma Mitts says Chicago police know who prime suspect is in deadly West Side fire
Alderwoman Emma Mitts says CPD knows who prime suspect is in deadly West Side fire
Alderwoman Emma Mitts says CPD knows who prime suspect is in deadly West Side fire
Chicago police may be one step closer to finding the person to blame for a fire in the city's Austin neighborhood that killed four people, including a child.
Alderwoman Emma Mitts, who represents the 37th Ward, said detectives know who they are looking for an arrest is only a matter of time.
A pregnant mother, her 5-year-old son, her younger sister and a well-known journalist were all killed in the fire in the 5200 block of North Avenue in the early hours of last Thursday morning.
The fire broke out just before 2 a.m. on June 26. Chicago firefighters used at least eight ladders to bring residents to safety. Some had to escape by stairs or jumping from the building.
Police investigated the first as suspicious from the start, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Witnesses said someone threw a Molotov cocktail through the window.
Investigators said they believe the fire was started during or after a domestic incident, though they have not said who was involved.
The four people who died were identified as 32-year-old Regina Henry, her 5-year-old son Jayceon Henry, and her28-year-old sister Destiny Henry, who went back into the burning building after her 4-year-old who she didn't realize had already been rescued, as well as 76-year-old Brad Cumming, editor of the Austin neighborhood The Voice newspaper.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Chicago Tribune
16 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
CPD's second-in-command gets dramatically different responsibilities in shakeup
The second-in-command of the Chicago Police Department appears to have been stripped of virtually all of her duties related to the department's daily operations, according to a new organizational chart sent Wednesday to CPD personnel. Yolanda Talley has overseen much of the department's day-to-day operations since March 2025, when Supt. Larry Snelling promoted her to the role of first deputy more than a year into his tenure at the helm of CPD. Under the new order, released to department members in an administrative message, the first deputy's office will supervise the department's records division, which is staffed by civilians, its alternate response section, which handles 311 calls, its Office of Community Policing and the department's detached services division, which leases with other public bodies like the Office of Emergency Management and Communication. According to the most recent organizational chart on CPD's directory of general orders, the first deputy's office previously supervised the department's patrol units, detective division, bureau of counterterrorism, street deputies and prosecutorial strategies. That organization had been in effect since May 2023. Under the new general order, the bureaus of patrol, detectives and counterterrorism will report directly to Snelling. Street deputies will report to Chief of Patrol Jon Hein and prosecutorial strategies will report to the Chief of Staff for the superintendent, under Snelling's command. The new order will be read at roll calls for the next week, the message to department members said. A department representative didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Talley, a 30-year veteran of the department, was previously the head of the bureau of internal affairs. She is the first Black woman to serve as first deputy superintendent, reporting directly to Snelling. Prior to internal affairs, Talley was commander of the Austin District (15th) on the West Side. In February 2022, Talley's personal vehicle was involved in a narcotics arrest in the Harrison District (11th). The first deputy's niece was driving the car, and a man in the passenger seat was seen by police throwing a package of heroin out the window before officers placed him under arrest. In body-worn camera footage previously obtained by the Tribune, Talley's niece told responding officers, 'Don't even worry about it cause my auntie's probably your boss.' Talley's niece was not arrested, but the man later faced narcotics charges and ultimately was sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections. Former CPD Superintendent David Brown later said there was 'no evidence of any misconduct by Chief Talley.' The departmental reorganization comes five years after former CPD interim superintendent Charlie Beck drastically restructured CPD operations, though many of those plans were reconsidered as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. The changes are in keeping with Snelling's history as a hands-on chief September 2024, about a year into his tenure as superintendent, Snelling still had not yet named a first deputy superintendent — a role that typically oversees the day-to-day operations of the nation's second-largest police department. Snelling said at the time that he had assumed most of the first deputy's responsibilities with assistance from the department's chiefs. He conceded that some saw the approach as 'problematic,' and Snelling said he 'would like a break every now and again,' but the arrangement, to that point, had worked. 'I learn by diving into the deep end of the pool,' Snelling said last year. 'I want to know every aspect of every job at the command staff position because it really helps me to develop and it helps me to have a better understanding of what to expect for the next person that I'm going to put in that position.'


CBS News
16 hours ago
- CBS News
Man robbed at gunpoint, shot in Avondale, Chicago police say
Chicago police are investigating a shooting and robbery in the city's Avondale neighborhood Tuesday night. CPD said a 37-year-old man was walking in the 3200 block of North Milwaukee Ave. shortly before 9 p.m. when he was approached by a man with a gun. The armed man demanded his belongings, which the man handed over, then ran, police said. When the victim took off, the robber shot him in the leg. The robber then fled. The victim was taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital where police said he is listed in good condition. No one is currently in custody. An investigation by Area Five detectives is ongoing.


New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Illegal immigrant caught working as police officer in Maine while attempting to buy firearm
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested a Jamaican national for allegedly attempting to purchase a firearm illegally while employed as a reserve police officer in Old Orchard Beach. According to ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Boston, Jon Luke Evans was taken into custody with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) after his firearm purchase attempt raised concerns tied to his immigration status on July 25 in Biddeford. Advertisement Federal authorities say Evans legally entered the United States through Miami International Airport on Sept. 24, 2023, under a visa that required his departure by Oct. 1, 2023. He failed to leave as required and has remained in the country unlawfully since. During the investigation, Evans reportedly claimed he was seeking to purchase the firearm for use in his role with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department. 4 Jon Luke Evans was taken into custody with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) after his firearm purchase attempt raised concerns tied to his immigration status on July 25 in Biddeford. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Advertisement ICE officials are now questioning how an individual without lawful immigration status was hired by a local police agency and possibly issued a department-issued weapon. 'This case raises serious concerns,' said Patricia H. Hyde, acting field office director for ERO Boston. 'We will continue working to ensure that individuals who violate immigration laws and pose potential threats to public safety are held accountable.' The Old Orchard Beach Police Department told Fox News Digital that Evans was hired in May as a seasonal officer and underwent a full background check, physical and medical screening, and law enforcement training. 4 During the investigation, Evans reportedly claimed he was seeking to purchase the firearm for use in his role with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department. Old Orchard Beach Police Department Advertisement As part of the hiring process, the department submitted his employment documents to DHS through the federal E-Verify system. According to police, DHS confirmed Evans' eligibility to work, and his Employment Authorization Document showed an expiration date of March 2030. 'Our department and our community relied on the Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify program to ensure we were meeting our obligations,' said Police Chief Elise Chard. 'We are distressed and deeply concerned about this apparent error on the part of the federal government.' Maine is one of about a dozen states that allows non-citizens with valid work permits to serve in law enforcement. Reserve officers in Old Orchard Beach are seasonal employees tasked with community patrols and do not take department-issued firearms home or carry personal weapons while on duty. 4 ICE officials are now questioning how an individual without lawful immigration status was hired by a local police agency and possibly issued a department-issued weapon. Old Orchard Beach Police Department Advertisement Evans' probationary status is currently under review, and the department has launched an internal investigation to evaluate its hiring protocols and ensure compliance with all federal and state laws. 'We take our legal responsibilities very seriously,' Chief Chard added. 'We intend to investigate this matter thoroughly and determine what additional steps may be necessary moving forward.' 4 The Old Orchard Beach Police Department told Fox News Digital that Evans was hired in May as a seasonal officer and underwent a full background check, physical and medical screening, and law enforcement training. WMTW The arrest of Evans follows a similar case from April, in which ICE officers detained another illegal immigrant law enforcement employee in Falmouth, Maine. Gratien Milandou Wamba, a 32-year-old Congolese national, was working as a corrections officer when he was apprehended by ICE for immigration violations after allegedly attempting to purchase a firearm illegally. 'Officers with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston field office arrested Gratien Milandou Wamba, an illegally present, 32-year-old citizen of Congo,' ICE Spokesperson James Covington, noting the arrest stemmed from an unlawful firearm purchase attempt. ICE emphasized that it will continue enforcement efforts across New England, working in coordination with other federal agencies to identify and apprehend individuals in violation of U.S. immigration laws, especially those employed in sensitive public safety positions.