Albert S. Turnage, a 23-year-old African American male, was fatally shot on February 25, 2015, in Chicago, Illinois. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning in the 7100 block of North Clark Street. Officers responding to reports of gunfire discovered Turnage and another man suffering from gunshot wounds in an alley. Turnage had been shot in the chest, while the second victim, a 30-year-old male, sustained injuries to his shoulder, arm, back, and buttocks.
Turnage was transported to St. Francis Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The other victim was critically wounded but survived.
The investigation into Turnage’s murder eventually led authorities to Harvey Pitts, a 25-year-old man from West Humboldt Park. Pitts was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shootings of Turnage and another victim, Jontaye Walker, who was also 23 years old at the time of his death. Pitts had been in federal custody in Kentucky before being extradited to Chicago to face charges. Prosecutors alleged that Pitts was involved in both killings as part of gang-related violence. He was a member of the Loc City/Get Rich faction of the Gangster Disciples street gang and was reportedly targeting rival gang members.
In Turnage’s case, Pitts was accused of being the driver during the shooting. He and an unidentified gunman had gone to a friend’s apartment to retrieve a firearm before carrying out the attack. After the shooting, Pitts and the gunman returned to their friend’s residence, where Pitts was reportedly smiling as they recounted the incident. The firearm used in the crime was later sold to a drug dealer on the South Side. Authorities later located the minivan Pitts allegedly drove during the shooting and found his girlfriend behind the wheel. She informed officers that she had loaned the vehicle to Pitts the night before.
Despite learning that Turnage was not affiliated with any gang and was instead a hardworking father who had grown up in the foster system, Pitts allegedly showed no remorse. A witness recalled Pitts dismissing the information with indifference. Pitts had a lengthy criminal history, including prior convictions for weapons offenses and aggravated battery of a police officer. His record also included multiple arrests and violations of probation and parole. Following his extradition, Pitts was denied bail by the judge, who expressed frustration over the ongoing violence in the city.
