CHICAGO, IL — A Chicago man charged in the Halloween night slaying of a beloved leader in violence prevention and intervention shot the man several times at close range and at least once in the face in a crime that was caught on surveillance cameras, prosecutors said in court Tuesday. He's also seen on camera accepting money shortly after the shooting, officials allege.
Andre Thomas, 57, of Matteson, was found with multiple gunshot wounds Oct. 31 at the office of Integrity & Fidelity, the agency he led as CEO and executive director. Police on Nov. 6 arrested Alex D. Morris, 54, in connection with the shooting.
Chicago Heights police were called to the 400 block of W. 14th Street just before 9:30 p.m. Oct. 31, in response to a gunshot detection alert. Thomas was taken by the Chicago Heights Fire Department to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Prosecutors said in court Tuesday that Morris is seen on surveillance footage approaching Thomas, who was sitting in the driver's seat of his vehicle and had arrived just 10 minutes earlier. Officials said the footage also shows Morris and another person, who has not been charged, arriving in the area before Thomas. The two are seen getting out of their car and splitting up before Morris walks towards Thomas' car, according to prosecutors.
Thomas is seen getting out of his car and speaking to Morris, who prosecutors said was dressed in red gym shoes, teal-green pants, and a red hoodie with a bird logo on the front.
Prosecutors said Morris is then seen pulling a gun and shooting Thomas, "striking him multiple times about the body, with at least one to the face."
Morris' "distinct clothing is fully visible in the surveillance video," of the shooting, prosecutors emphasized.
A shot spotter alert at 9:24 p.m. detected six gunshots; detectives who later processed the scene recovered six 9mm cartridge casings, according to a proffer.
The two men are then seen getting back into the same car and leaving the area just three minutes later, prosecutors said. License plate reader cameras captured the plates, and the vehicle was found to be registered to the mother of another uncharged offender, who prosecutors said knew the victim from work.
Video shows the two men travelling to several locations nearby after the homicide, before eventually exiting and walking to a Chicago Heights bus stop, prosecutors said.
The car is then tracked to an ATM nearby, where the second uncharged person withdraws $503 before returning to the bus stop and handing it off to Morris, prosecutors said. Morris and the first uncharged person then board a northbound bus.
Morris was later stopped by Chicago police on an unrelated matter on Nov. 5. Chicago Heights police reviewed body camera footage and noted Morris wearing the same distinct teal pants, red hoodie with the unique bird logo on the front and red shoes, prosecutors said. Chicago police then cross-checked surveillance footage from the shooting and positively identified Morris, prosecutors said.
Morris told Chicago Heights police on Nov. 6 that he had been with the first uncharged offender the night of the shooting but did not admit to the murder, prosecutors said. He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
A Cook County judge on Tuesday ordered Morris detained until trial. His next court date is set for Dec. 1.
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