A man who lived in the same two-flat as a rapper killed this spring in Uptown is charged with killing a member of a rival gang as he and his fiancee tried to get their children inside their West Rogers Park home to avoid being shot, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Court records show that Shawn Randall, 19, who was charged with murder in the death of Vallan Francis, 22, on Friday, lives at the same home where Shaquon Thomas, known as Young Pappy, did before he was killed May 29. Randall was on electronic monitoring at the time of Francis’ killing, following a 2014 drug conviction — despite Randall having been cited for seven violations of probation in the case, including a standoff with police at the two-flat, according to prosecutors and court records.
Thomas was slain after two innocent bystanders were killed in 2014 in previous attempts on his life, and on June 1, a third man was fatally shot because of comments he made on Facebook about Thomas.
On Friday, Francis and his fiancee were in their front yard in the 2000 block of West Arthur Avenue about 1:30 p.m. as their children, ages 7, 4 and 3, played, according to assistant state’s attorney Jennifer Cooper. They saw Randall, who the fiancee knows as Lil Shawn, a member of a gang rival to the one Francis was a member of, ride a bicycle heading west, and both decided it was dangerous to keep their children outside because Randall could be a threat to them, according to prosecutors.
A few minutes later, Francis was getting his daughter’s bicycle and his fiancee was picking up the children’s things when Randall came up from the west, stood about one car length away from Francis and fired a black handgun several times, hitting Francis four times, prosecutors said. Randall then ran north on Seeley Avenue and ran through the alley north of Arthur, heading west.
Francis was taken to Presence St. Francis Hospital in Evanston for gunshot wounds, including to his chest, and he was pronounced dead at 2:30 p.m. Friday, according to the authorities.
Surveillance cameras captured video of a man riding a bicycle toward the shooting just before it took place, as well as of a man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, as Randall did Friday, running from the shooting, prosecutors said. Police also found a silver bicycle in the alley behind the victim’s home after the shooting.
Randall’s electronic monitoring information also indicated that he left his home about 12:52 p.m. Friday and didn’t return until about 10 p.m., prosecutors said.
Witnesses identified Randall, and he was arrested Sunday morning at his home, which court records show is in the 6300 block of North Lakewood Avenue.
Judge Peggy Chiampas ordered Randall held without bail Tuesday. His attorney said Randall did not finish high school after being shot in the leg but was getting his GED at Truman College
Randall and Thomas, who were part of the same gang, were among 31 people arrested after a standoff with police that began late May 8 and went into the early hours of May 9 at the two-flat in the 6300 block of North Lakewood Avenue, where he and Thomas lived. Randall, who still lives there, was charged with disorderly conduct, and the charges have since been dropped, according to court records.
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Randall’s drug case originated Sept. 8, when he was arrested about 1:25 p.m. in the 6700 block of North Newgard Avenue on suspicion of possession of crack cocaine, according to police and court records. He pleaded guilty to drug possession a month later and was sentenced to two years of probation.
Francis is just the latest person killed in the conflict involving his former housemate, Thomas, and other members of their gang and rival gangs:
Thomas was fatally shot about 1:35 a.m. May 29 as he stood with a friend in the 4800 block of North Kenmore Avenue. Thomas was hit twice in the back and taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
In February 2014, a masked gunman opened fire at the McDonald’s restaurant at Pratt Boulevard and Clark Street. Markeyo Carr, 17, who had taken a few dollars from his mother before heading to the McDonald’s, was shot in the head and collapsed in the driveway. Thomas and two other teens were wounded.
In July 2014, a man fired shots in the 1300 block of West Devon Avenue and hit Wil Lewis in the back and the head as he waited for a bus. The 28-year-old was about to start a new job as a photographer. He was killed less than a mile from his home.
On June 1, Clifton A. Frye, 22, of the 1400 block of West Farwell Avenue, was shot in the 7600 block of North Ashland Avenue, allegedly because of comments he made on Facebook about Thomas. He was pronounced dead June 18 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Randall is scheduled to be back in court Thursday in his drug case.