Four gang members were charged on May 10 with committing a slew of shootings in Chicago, leaving three dead and two wounded. The shootings were meant to strike fear in the community so the gang could act with impunity.
The Chicago Tribune reported that the suspects—said to be members of the Milwaukee Kings—allegedly shot at their victims between 2015 and 2017. One of the indicted allegedly killed a 15-year-old boy.
JUST IN: These two gents are among four alleged members of Chicago’s Milwaukee Kings street gang who could face the death penalty if convicted on new federal RICO charges alleging they murdered to boost their gang’s social media status. https://t.co/6feoRsVc1b pic.twitter.com/GWOrFnILVq
— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) May 11, 2019
Santo Lozoya, Jose Martinez, Pedro Navarro, and Hector Rojas are accused of trying to boost the notoriety of their gang on social media through violence and murder, reads the newspaper. The suspects are eligible for the death penalty.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Navarro, nicknamed “Cuba,” is the alleged killer of 15-year-old Xavier Soto.
Soto died two days after being shot multiple times in April 2017. Homicide Watch Chicago reported that another boy who was with Soto was also shot but survived.
Prosecutors told the Chicago Tribune that Navarro and an accomplice waited for Soto and Soto’s friends to walk down an alley. The Kings then leaped out their vehicle and fired at the boys.
The two boys were alleged rival gang members of the Milwaukee Kings: the Latin Brothers. Both gangs formed in Chicago and have been active as far back as the 1970s, according to Chicago Gang History.
The gang has also spread to Texas.
Gang Member Admits to Murder
A secret recording was revealed in a court filing on April 9, obtained by Chicago Tribune.
Navarro admitted to the crime: “We killed a 15-year-old who was an LB … They came right in front of us.”
The Chicago Tribune reported that Navarro was arrested on April 30 for the murder of Soto.
Charges Still Pending
DNAinfo reported that 26-year-old Rojas was charged for shooting and killing a man after a fight broke out in 2015. That day marked the deadliest day in Chicago since 2010: nine deaths total.
Rojas was charged for the shooting in 2016 and held without bail, but his charges are pending, reported the Chicago Tribune.
On May 9, all suspects except Navarro plead not guilty. He is yet to be arraigned.
Murder Rate in Chicago
According to an infographic created by ABC News in 2018, the murder rate in Chicago is more than double Los Angeles’s and almost quadruple that of New York City. Since last year, homicides have risen by 24 percent.
Chicago has less than one-fourth the population of New York City and about 1.3 billion less than that of Los Angeles.
From 2009 to 2011, 40 percent of homicides in major cities were gang-related, according to ABC News. When the infographic was produced, 419 homicides were reported.