Kenny Winters, a 41-year-old African American male from Chicago, IL, tragically lost his life on February 5, 2021. The incident occurred in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago. Winters was attempting to intervene in a physical altercation between two men in the parking lot of a liquor store located in the 1600 block of North Cicero Avenue. During the confrontation, one of the men involved, Jason Bergollo, a 35-year-old male, opened fire, striking Winters in the back and leg.
Despite being rushed to Stroger Hospital, Winters succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The altercation that led to Winters' death began as a verbal dispute between Bergollo and another individual. Surveillance footage revealed that the argument escalated when the other man began to push Bergollo. In response, Bergollo, who was armed, walked away briefly before turning back and firing shots. The man Bergollo was targeting took cover behind a parked vehicle and returned fire, inadvertently hitting Winters. This tragic sequence of events resulted in Winters being caught in the crossfire and fatally wounded.
Following the shooting, Bergollo attempted to flee the scene in a blue Volkswagen Passat. A police helicopter tracked the vehicle, which eventually collided with a Nissan sedan and an unmarked police car. Bergollo then fled on foot but was apprehended after a brief chase. He was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, possession of a controlled substance, and aggravated fleeing. Bergollo, a convicted felon, was held without bail and faced multiple charges related to the incident.
The case against Bergollo proceeded through the legal system, with Cook County prosecutors presenting evidence of his involvement in the fatal shooting. The investigation into Winters' death highlighted the dangers faced by individuals attempting to intervene in violent situations and underscored the broader issues of gun violence in Chicago. The community mourned the loss of Kenny Winters, remembering him as a brave individual who tragically lost his life while trying to prevent further violence.
