1 Shot & Killed/1 Life Saved

Johnnie Dyer
38 years old
Preliminary reports said Dyer was standing outside in the 3000 block of West 5th Avenue in the East Garfield Park neighborhood shortly before midnight when someone approached and shot him several times. He was pronounced dead at 12:38 a.m. at Mount Sinai Hospital.

ONE LIFE SAVED

Malik Mentor was standing outside his apartment building in the South Chicago neighborhood Tuesday evening when four shots rang out across the street. He saw a boy try to run, then collapse to the ground. "When he fell ... the guy walked up to him and then pointed the gun in his face about to blow his brains out," Mentor said. According to Mentor, the wounded boy lay on the ground and pleaded for his life. Mentor said he screamed at the gunman, "Man, please can you give him another chance." The gunman looked up at Mentor. "I started begging," Mentor said.

In neighborhoods dominated by gangs, staying quiet is a common response to shootings. A man working on Mentor's building, who asked that his name not be used, said he heard Mentor and another man pleading with the gunman and told them it was better not to say anything.

Mentor continued. At first, neither his pleas nor those from the wounded teen appeared to change the gunman's intentions, he said. "He keep coming forward to him ... he wanted to kill the kid," said Mentor, adding he had seen the victim and gunman in the neighborhood before. Only when Mentor pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911 did the gunman leave, Mentor said.