South Shore Restaurant Murders Might Be Revenge Shooting: Cops

CHICAGO, IL — A 19-year-old man who investigators believe was seeking revenge for his father's killing has been charged in the quadruple murder at South Shore restaurant last week, Chicago police officials said at a press conference Wednesday. Detecives also are investigating whether the restaurant shooting is connected to other shootings that happened the same day.

Maurice Harris, 19, faces four counts of first-degree murder stemming from a fatal shooting Thursday, March 30, at Nadia Fish and Chicken in the 2700 block of East 75th St. Although he has gang affiliations and an extensive juvenile record — including at least one unspecified incident involving a firearm — this is Harris' first arrest as an adult, Superintendent Eddie Johnson said at the briefing.

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"As we've seen too many times beofre in Chicago, [Harris is] no stranger to CPD, nor is he unfamiliar to using an illegal handgun," Johnson said, implying such a weapon was used in last week's shooting.

According to Cmdr. Brendan Deenihan, Harris approached four men standing outside Nadia Fish and Chicken at around 3:15 p.m. and allegedly opened fire. Two of the victims were struck outside, and the other two victims were shot as they fled inside the restaurant, he added.

Police found Emmanuel Stokes, 28, and Edwin Davis, 32, shot and killed inside the restaurant. Brothers Dillon Jackson, 20, and Raheam Jackson, 19 were found shot and killed outside. One of the brothers was found directly outside the restaurant, while the other brother was found nearby in the 7500 block of South Coles, according to reports at the time.

RELATED: Restaurant Slayings: 4 Dead In Chicago Shooting

Several eyewitnesses identified Harris as the lone shooter, and police apprehended him Tuesday, April 4, near 127th Street and Western Avenue, Deenihan said. Harris did not confess to the shootings, but Deenihan said the incident was not random. In fact, investigators believe Thursday's attack was retaliation for another killing, he added.

A day earlier on Wednesday, March 29, Harris' father, Jerry Jacobs, was murdered in the 7900 block of South Phillips Avenue when four men jumped from a vehicle and shot and killed him. Jacobs, 37, was a documented gang member and had been arrested 47 times — twice for murder — before his death, Deenihan said. A motive for the killing hasn't been determined, and the investigation is still open, said Deenihan, adding that he didn't have all the information in that case.

"You're asking me why Jerry Jacobs was killed? I don't have the motive for why Jerry Jacobs was killed, but I mean, it's a reasonable belief Jerry Jacobs was killed, then 24 hours later his own son goes and kills four people, so obviously those two incidents are releated," he said.

When later asked about a motive for the restaurant shooting, Deenihan added:

"It's a tough question to answer. I don't know what Harris was thinking because he didn't tell us what he was thinking. I think a reasonable belief would be that his father got killed and that subsequently he shoots and kills these four people.

"Does he do that randomly? I mean, only he can answer that question. I wouldn't suspect the he picked four random people on the street, that wouldn't make sense to me. … Only he could asnwer that question."

Deenihan didn't indicate who of the four victims Harris might have thought was responsible for his father's murder. Nor did he say whether police believed any of the victims were involved in the Jacobs shooting. Although almost all the individuals in both cases had gang affiliations, Deenihan hesitated Wednesday to call any of the violence gang-related. At the same time, he did connect gang involvment with Thursday's shooting.

"All these people have gang affiliations, and a reasonable person would believe [Harris] was seeking revenge for his father's murder," Deenihan said.

During Harris' hearing Wednesday, a judge denied bail, which Harris' lawyer requested so his client could go to his father's funeral, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Harris is the only suspect in the restaurant killings, and investigators are looking at the possibility that the murders at Nadia Fish and Chicken are connected with another shooting Thursday, near 71st Street and South Shore Drive, that killed two people, Deenihan said. However, another fatal shooting earlier Thursday —a pregnant woman murdered near 75th Street and Luella Avenue — is not believed to be related to the other violence, he added.

While officials wouldn't reveal details about Harris' juvenile criminal history, Deenihan lamented the justice system's inability to help the 19-year-old sooner.

"Obviously, we failed him as a juvenile," he said. "If someone would do a deep analysis of him as a juvenile, there'd be no shock that we'd be here talking to you today about this. That's a fact. If we keep putting a person back in the same situation and environment, I'm not sure why wer'e expecting different results."

WATCH: Superintendent Eddie Johnson and other Chicago police officials discuss the murder charges filed against Maurice Harris during a press conference Wednesday, April 5:

UPDATED (2:09 p.m. Wednesday, April 5)

Maurice Harris, 19 (photo via Chicago Police Department)

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