Crime
Two Dead in Apparent Domestic Shooting in North Lawndale
CHICAGO, IL – Tragedy struck the North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side early Thursday morning, as a domestic incident ended in the deaths of two individuals.
Chicago police confirmed that 42-year-old Tanisha Weeks was fatally shot in the 4100 block of West Grenshaw Street. The incident occurred around 7:35 a.m., and tragically, Weeks was killed in front of her child.
A 35-year-old male, whose identity has not yet been released, is believed to have turned the weapon on himself immediately after the shooting.
Responding officers found both individuals unresponsive, each with gunshot wounds to the head. Emergency responders transported them to Mount Sinai Hospital, where both were pronounced deceased.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the incident was domestic in nature.
The North Lawndale community is reeling from the incident, particularly as a child witnessed the violence. Local organizations and crisis teams are being mobilized to provide support to the child and others affected by the tragedy.
“This is a devastating situation,” said a community advocate. “It highlights the urgent need for addressing domestic violence and ensuring resources are available for families in crisis.”
The Chicago Police Department’s Area 4 detectives are leading the investigation. Officials are working to gather more details about the relationship between the two individuals and the circumstances leading up to the shooting.
Further updates will be shared as additional information becomes available. Anyone with information related to the incident is encouraged to contact Chicago Police or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please seek help immediately. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text “START” to 88788.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.