Crime
Woman Identified as Akaysha Fatally Shot in Apparent Case of Mistaken Identity in North Lawndale
CHICAGO, IL — A 33-year-old woman, identified by community members as Akaysha, was tragically shot and killed Thursday afternoon in what authorities suspect may have been a case of mistaken identity.
The incident occurred in the 1600 block of South Ridgeway Avenue, in the North Lawndale neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side.
According to the Chicago Police Department, Akaysha was seated inside a white sedan with tinted windows around 2:30 p.m. when three individuals approached the vehicle.
One of the offenders produced a firearm and opened fire, striking the victim multiple times in the face and torso.
Akaysha attempted to escape by driving off, but the vehicle ultimately crashed into a curb near 18th Street.
Emergency responders transported her to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her full identity has not yet been officially released by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Investigators believe the heavily tinted windows may have led the attackers to misidentify the vehicle or its occupant.
The active crime scene extended from the 1600 block to the 1800 block of South Ridgeway, where 22 shell casings were recovered and marked as evidence.
A resident in the area, who requested anonymity, recalled seeing the car behaving strangely just before the shooting:
“It looked like it was trying to park but kept moving forward and back. I had just walked into my house when the shots started—first a couple, then a burst of them. It was so fast.”
North of 18th Street, officers from the Ogden District (10th) and Harrison Area detectives were seen clustering around the white sedan, which had come to rest against the curb.
All four doors of the vehicle were open as evidence technicians combed nearby yards and alleyways for additional clues.
As of Thursday evening, no arrests had been made, and police have not released descriptions of the suspects involved.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Chicago Police Department’s Area Four detectives or submit tips anonymously through CPD’s tip line at 833-408-0069 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-535-STOP.
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.