Crime
22-year-old Juan Rodriguez killed in shooting on Syracuse East Side
Syracuse, N.Y. — Police have identified the victim of a fatal shooting that occurred Sunday evening on Syracuse’s East Side as 22-year-old Juan J. Rodriguez, a city resident, authorities announced Wednesday.
According to Syracuse Police Department spokesperson Kieran Coffey, officers responded to the 200 block of Westmoreland Avenue near the Parkside Commons apartments around 6:10 p.m. on June 1, following reports of a shooting.
Upon arrival, officers located Rodriguez suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was transported to Upstate University Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Rodriguez’s death marked the most serious in a series of four separate shootings reported across the city on Sunday, underscoring a day of heightened violence in Syracuse.
The incidents were reported as follows:
- 3:45 a.m. — A man in his 30s was found with a gunshot wound to the leg near Erie Boulevard West and Geddes Street. The exact location where the shooting occurred remains under investigation.
- 1:00 p.m. — A 20-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound to the back in the 600 block of Onondaga Avenue, in the area of Lower Onondaga Park.
- 5:45 p.m. — An 18-year-old man was shot in the lower back on the 500 block of Park Street.
- 6:10 p.m. — Juan J. Rodriguez, 22, was fatally shot on Westmoreland Avenue.
At this time, police have not indicated whether the shootings are connected. No arrests have been announced in relation to any of the incidents.
The investigations remain ongoing.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Syracuse Police Department or submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
Authorities have identified the man shot and killed Friday afternoon in a parking lot outside a Little Caesars restaurant in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.
The victim has been named as Stevens Jeffrey, 29, according to police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The shooting occurred in the 2600 block of West Cermak Road near Rockwell Street at approximately 1:10 p.m., according to the Chicago Police Department (CPD).
Preliminary reports indicate that Jeffrey was sitting in his vehicle when he was approached by an unknown vehicle.
An armed individual exited that vehicle and opened fire, striking Jeffrey multiple times in the face and body.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene, where Jeffrey was pronounced dead. He was discovered inside his vehicle with his two young children, ages 4 and 6, who were unharmed.
Both children were transported to Stroger Hospital for precautionary evaluation.
The shooting took place in the parking lot of a Little Caesars restaurant, where investigators recovered multiple shell casings and placed numerous evidence markers on the ground.
As of Friday evening, no suspects are in custody, and detectives from the CPD Area Four Homicide Unit are leading the investigation. Police have not released information on a possible motive.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about this homicide to contact Chicago Police or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTip.com.