Crime
Woman Fatally Shot in Apparent Case of Mistaken Identity in North Lawndale
CHICAGO, IL — A 33-year-old woman was shot and killed Thursday afternoon in what authorities believe may have been a case of mistaken identity, as she sat inside a vehicle with tinted windows in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood.
According to the Chicago Police Department, the shooting occurred just after 2:30 p.m. in the 1600 block of South Ridgeway Avenue on the city’s West Side.
The victim was seated in a white sedan when she was approached by three individuals. One of them drew a firearm and opened fire, striking the woman multiple times in the face and torso.
Police said the victim attempted to flee by driving away, but the vehicle ultimately crashed into a curb near 18th Street.
She was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
Her identity has not yet been publicly released, pending notification of next of kin.
Investigators believe the assailants may have mistaken her for someone else due to the car’s heavily tinted windows.
A large crime scene stretched from the 1600 block to the 1800 block of South Ridgeway, with officers placing at least 22 evidence markers at the site.
A gray two-flat home nearby became a point of interest as detectives worked to collect information from residents.
One neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous, said she noticed the vehicle acting erratically just before the shooting.
“The car was parked, but it kept inching forward and reversing slightly, like it couldn’t decide where to stop,” she said. “I had just gotten into my house when I heard the first shots—then a pause, and then a burst of rapid gunfire.”
After the incident, officers from the Ogden (10th) District, along with Harrison Area detectives, canvassed nearby yards and alleyways for additional evidence.
The white sedan was left with all its doors open, surrounded by investigators and crime scene technicians.
As of Thursday evening, no arrests had been made, and no suspects had been publicly identified.
Authorities have not released a motive, though preliminary details suggest the woman may not have been the intended target.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Chicago Police Department or submit tips anonymously to CPD’s tip line at 833-408-0069.
AUSTIN, Texas — A man was taken into custody Saturday afternoon following a shooting inside the Austin Central Library that left one person seriously injured and prompted a large emergency response and temporary shelter-in-place order in the downtown area.
According to the Austin Police Department (APD), officers responded shortly after 12:00 p.m. to reports of gunfire inside the Austin Central Library, located at 710 W. César Chávez Street.
Upon arrival, police and Austin-Travis County EMS units found one victim suffering from a gunshot wound.
The individual was transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition.
Assistant Police Chief Lee Rogers stated during a press briefing that the shooter fled the scene before officers arrived.
After an extensive search, the suspect—identified as 55-year-old Harold Newton Keene—was located and arrested in South Austin at approximately 1:25 p.m.
The library was safely evacuated, and the shelter-in-place alert was lifted shortly after Keene’s apprehension.
Authorities emphasized that the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident involving only one suspect and one victim.
“This was not an active shooter situation,” Rogers confirmed.
Preliminary reports and public records reveal that Harold Newton Keene has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple arrests for assault, family violence, terroristic threats, burglary, drug possession, and evading arrest.
He is described by law enforcement officials as a habitual violent offender who has had numerous prior run-ins with police.
Records indicate Keene was previously arrested for threatening a man with a firearm several months ago and, in a separate incident, assaulted another inmate while in custody at the Travis County Jail.
In both cases, prosecutors later declined to pursue charges.
Authorities have not yet released a possible motive for the shooting or confirmed whether the suspect and victim knew each other.
The Austin Police Department’s Major Crimes Division is leading the investigation.
Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact the Austin Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS.