Victims In Evanston's First Shooting Of 2018 Uncooperative

EVANSTON, IL — Those who have been shot in Evanston over the past year have largely avoided cooperating with police seeking to investigate who was responsible for their gunshot wounds, according to Evanston police records obtained by Patch.

In the latest incident, two Chicago men who were struck by gunfire Sunday in Evanston's first shooting of 2018 are not cooperating with investigators, police said. Around 9:19 p.m., police were called to the 100 block of Chicago Avenue for a report of a person shot on the sidewalk.

One man was shot in the neck by a bullet that passed through and had another apparent gunshot wound to his back. The other was struck in the leg.

The 18-year-old and a 21-year-old survivors of the shooting were transported to St. Francis Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Detectives canvassed the area around the corner of Howard Street and Chicago Avenue for video and witnesses, but no description of any possible suspects or vehicles was immediately available, according to Evanston Police Cmdr. Ryan Glew.

In the whole of 2017, just three people were shot in Evanston, and one man was killed, records show.

Last year's first shooting was reported Feb. 13 in the 2100 block of Darrow Avenue. Someone walked up to two people in a parked car and started shooting, according to witness statements.

The survivors noticed a passenger, a 24-year-old Skokie man, had been shot in the wrist and drove themselves to the hospital. Police found seven shell casings that appeared to come from multiple guns. The victims were not cooperative with the investigation and the case was subsequently closed, according to police reports.

Then – months later but on the same block – a 32-year-old Evanston man was shot in his right thigh in the 2100 block of Darrow Avenue on June 18. Four shell casings were covered, but the only description provided by the roughly 12 people encountered by responding officers was of a white Honda Civic, police reported.

The victim, who said he was "drunk as hell, man" after drinking an undisclosed amount of Hennessey liquor, was unable to provide further details. He told police he did not want them to look into the incident, according to police reports.

Fatal Shooting Determined To Be Self Defense

Then in August 2017, French-Moroccan Hamza Hammaois was fatally shot with his own gun by Gary Elton Johnson at the corner of Howard Street and Chicago Avenue in Evanston's only homicide of the year, police said. Police reported that text messages exchanged between witnesses – and later obtained by detectives – indicated a reluctance to cooperate with the investigation.

Prosecutors determined it was a justifiable homicide and Johnson, a homeless man who reportedly described his life philosophy as "exist," was charged with illegal use of a weapon in connection with his arrest while in possession of the gun that killed the newlywed recent immigrant.

In that case, 25-year-old Hammaois, his Michigan-born wife, and one of his visiting sisters were "videotaping themselves rapping/dancing" while as he held and waved around a Glock handgun with an extended clip on the corner, according to police reports.

Johnson walked by and words were exchanged, leading to an argument. One witness initially told police that as the man crossed their path Hammaois called him the N-word, which reportedly upset Johnson. One of the women tried to de-escalate the situation by explaining to Johnson that Hamza didn't speak English fluently and was "only kidding."

As the two continued to argue, Hammaois pulled a handgun from his pants and shot it in the air in an unsuccessful attempt to scare Johnson, according to multiple witnesses. The gun had been legally purchased by Hammaois' wife in Michigan. He carried it regularly, "since he knew that most people in Chicago are also armed," one said.

During the fight, the Glock fell to the ground. Johnson picked it up and shot Hammaois once in the head. He then tucked the gun in his waistband and walked away, according to witness statements.

Investigators identified Johnson as the shooter and tracked him down using surveillance images and pinpointed his location through his Ventra card use before taking him into custody following a follow chase, police said.

When asked why he held on to Hammaois' gun, Johnson, expressed a similar nonchalance about firearms.

"Chicago is a dangerous city, why not."

Top photo via Patch file, Jonah Meadows