Crime
15-year-old Kenwon Van Pelt found shot dead inside home at Englewood neighborhood
No suspects are in custody at this time, and the investigation remains active.
CHICAGO, Dec. 3, 2024 – A tragic incident unfolded today as 15-year-old Kenwon Van Pelt, affectionately known as “Lil Kso” by his family and friends, was fatally shot inside his home.
The Chicago Police Department (CPD) received a call reporting a person shot around 11:35 a.m. at the intersection of Marquette and Parnell.
Officers arrived to find Kenwon in his bedroom, seated in a chair, with a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
While CPD has not disclosed further details about the case, investigators are searching for a group of teens who were reportedly inside the home with Kenwon at the time of the shooting.
Witnesses suggest the group fled the scene, leaving the doors open. Evidence collected from the scene includes a single shell casing in the bedroom, a live round discovered in the nearby alley, and a cellphone found close to the residence.
No suspects are in custody at this time, and the investigation remains active.
CPD Area 1 Detectives are urging anyone with information about this case to come forward. Anonymous tips can be submitted at CPDTIP.com, or individuals can contact the 7th District police station directly at (312) 747-8220.
This tragic loss marks the second fatal shooting of a teenager within 12 hours in Chicago, following a separate mass shooting.
This devastating pattern of gun violence continues to claim young lives and leave communities in mourning. As bloodshed escalates, families and neighborhoods are being torn apart.
“We must address this crisis head-on,” community leaders and advocates have reiterated. “If we, as parents and members of the community, don’t step up, we will continue to lose our children to the senseless violence that plagues our streets.”
The loss of Kenwon Van Pelt underscores the urgent need for collective action to protect Chicago’s youth and end the cycle of violence.
Crime
Security guard Yahaira Melendez charged with murder after shooting inside IHOP restaurant in Center City Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A security guard has been arrested and charged with murder following a fatal shooting at a Center City IHOP over the weekend that left a 43-year-old man dead.
The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday at the IHOP located in the 1300 block of Walnut Street, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
When officers arrived, they discovered a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. The victim, who police say was unhoused, was transported to Jefferson Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Investigators report that the victim had been causing a disturbance inside the restaurant prior to the shooting. As security personnel escorted him outside, he allegedly turned and spat on one of the guards.
That guard, identified as 38-year-old Yahaira Melendez, allegedly responded by drawing her firearm and shooting the victim once in the head.
Police say preliminary findings indicate the victim was not armed at the time of the incident.
Melendez, a mother of three, was taken into custody and has been charged with murder and related offenses.
In a statement Melendez’s family expressed shock and disbelief over the situation, writing in part:
“We are shocked and devastated by the tragic events that occurred at the IHOP while she was working security. We know she would never harm anyone unless she felt she had no other choice to protect herself or others.”
The shooting has left nearby workers and residents shaken.
“Escalation — where was the escalation?” asked Karr Anderson, who works next door to the restaurant. “Security guards need to know how to withhold, how to show restraint.”
Philadelphia Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including whether proper security protocols were followed and what led to the use of deadly force.
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the deceased pending family notification.