Gerald Kates, a 21-year-old African American male, was tragically shot and killed on January 7, 2021, in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood on the Southwest Side of Chicago, Illinois. The incident occurred around 2:35 p.m. in front of a home located in the 6300 block of South Artesian Avenue. According to the Chicago police, Gerald Kates suffered gunshot wounds to both legs and the abdomen.
He was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into Gerald Kates' death revealed that Larry Hogan, a 20-year-old male, was the primary suspect in the shooting. Hogan was free on bail for an aggravated unlawful use of a weapon case at the time of the incident. Surveillance footage captured Hogan extending his arm and shooting Gerald Kates multiple times just before 11 p.m. on January 7, 2021. Although Hogan's face was not visible in the video, detectives were able to track his movements by examining his clothing. Hogan was seen wearing torn jeans, black sneakers, and a black hooded jacket over a white hoodie. This attire matched the description of the suspect seen in the surveillance footage.
Three of Gerald Kates' family members, who heard the gunfire and looked out their window, identified Hogan as the shooter. An arrest warrant charging Hogan with murder was filed the following month. When police attempted to apprehend Hogan, he resisted arrest, shoved an officer, and tried to reach for a gun inside his backpack. During the struggle, one officer suffered a fractured hand. A loaded Glock pistol, equipped with a switch that allowed the gun to fire automatically and an extended 50-round drum magazine, was recovered from Hogan's backpack.
Larry Hogan was charged with first-degree murder, unlawful use of a machine gun, aggravated battery of a police officer, and resisting arrest. Judge Arthur Wesley Willis ordered Hogan held without bail for Kates' murder and set bail at $250,000 for the other charges. Hogan's actions and the subsequent investigation highlight the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Gerald Kates and the ongoing efforts to bring justice to his family.
