On February 25, 2024, a tragic incident occurred in the West Chatham neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, resulting in the deaths of three individuals, including 20-year-old Ladeverett West Ringgold. The shooting took place inside a home in the 8000 block of South Vincennes Avenue just after 7:30 p.m..
Ladeverett West Ringgold, along with 14-year-old Amere P. Deese and a 36-year-old man, were fatally shot in the incident.
A fourth victim, a 16-year-old boy, was seriously injured but expected to recover. The victims were all friends who often hung out together at Ringgold's house and were in his bedroom at the time of the shooting.
The shooter, identified as 16-year-old Antonio Velasco, had been welcomed into the home as an acquaintance of a young man who was friends with the family. Following an altercation, Velasco retrieved a 9mm handgun with an extended clip and demanded that his brother pick up a rifle that was behind a TV in the bedroom. Velasco then opened fire on the four victims and fled the scene with his brother.
Ladeverett West Ringgold was shot in the stomach and taken to Christ Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The incident has left the community and the families of the victims in shock and grief. Velasco was arrested on Tuesday at a relative's home in Hazel Crest and has been charged as an adult with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. He is being held without bond as he awaits trial.
The case has highlighted the deep emotional impact on the families involved, particularly Amere Deese's grandmother, Cynthia Jones, who expressed her confusion and heartache over why Velasco, who was close to her grandson, would commit such a heinous act. Jones noted that Velasco had befriended Deese after his mother's death two years prior and had shared a close relationship with him.
The investigation and subsequent arrest were facilitated by video footage that captured Velasco fleeing the scene, which helped detectives identify him as the shooter and obtain an arrest warrant. The incident has also sparked discussions about the need for community support, jobs, and mental health services to address the underlying issues contributing to such violent acts in South Side neighborhoods.
