JaWon L. Ward, an 18-year-old African American male, was tragically killed on April 16, 2021, in Chicago, IL. The incident occurred in the Lawndale neighborhood, specifically in the 3600 block of West 16th Street. Around 7 p.m., a person entered a business establishment and began firing shots. JaWon L. Ward was struck in the chest and face and was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A 44-year-old woman was also injured in the shooting, sustaining gunshot wounds to her shoulder and back. She was taken to the same hospital and was reported to be in good condition.
The Cook County medical examiner's office identified the victim as JaWon L. Ward, a resident of Englewood. The shooting was captured on the shop's surveillance video, which showed the assailant, Ishmael Simpson, entering the business and repeatedly shooting Ward as he sat near the door. When Ward fell to the floor, Simpson's accomplice entered and fired additional shots. Ward, in an attempt to defend himself, pulled out his own gun and accidentally shot a customer in the shop.
Ishmael Simpson, a 24-year-old male, was later arrested and charged with the murder of JaWon L. Ward. Simpson was seen on surveillance footage wearing distinct clothing, including jeans with paint splashes, a hooded sweatshirt, a COVID mask, and "Yeezy-style shoes." Cameras outside the store captured a black sedan creeping down an alley before the shooting and showed Simpson wearing the same outfit and a unique lanyard. Simpson and the other shooter were seen walking from the alley toward the shop and then fleeing in the same direction before the sedan sped down the alley.
Detectives learned that Simpson was arrested two days later in an unrelated felony gun case. Body-worn camera footage from the arrest showed him wearing the same jeans, shoes, and lanyard. Photos recovered from his cellphone also matched the clothing seen in the surveillance footage. Additionally, detectives found five videos and images of Ward on Simpson's cellphone, taken between August 13, 2020, and April 11, 2021, just days before the slaying. Simpson also had a page of Ward's grand jury testimony against one of his gang associates.
Simpson was not arrested for Ward's murder until October 2022, when he was implicated in a triple shooting in Humboldt Park. During this incident, Simpson and three other individuals were caught on video emerging from a vehicle and opening fire on another group. Three people were wounded, and approximately 67 shell casings were found at the scene.
