Fifth Person Dies In Englewood Mass Shooting

CHICAGO — A 25-year-old woman attending the gathering in a troubled Englewood building where eight people were shot in the early morning hours of June 15 has died. The Cook County Medical Examiner identified the fifth person as 25-year-old Brianna Lawrence.

Around 5:45 a.m. June 15, two gunmen shot eight people in a house. Police believe the shooting stemmed from an argument from a gathering inside the home. Seven people suffered gunshot wounds to the head. Four were pronounced dead on the scene, three of whom were young mothers.

Chicago police said Monday that investigators may have an idea of who shot the people, and that the investigation was moving forward in the right direction.

“I don’t want to give a lot of information on that because some of it is speculation,” CPD Chief of Detectives Brendon Deenihan said at a news conference. “But the detectives are investigating. They have basically a pretty good investigative plan and idea of who may have done the shooting inside (that) residence.”

Lawrence had a young daughter and had been working at a seafood restaurant for two or three months and was “on the right path,” her father told the Chicago Tribune. Others who died in the shooting have been identified as 19-year-old Shermetria Williams, 28-year-old Ratanya Aryiel Rogers, 32-year-old Denice “Niecy” Mathis, and 35-year-old Blake Lee.

A man was shot in the same house in November 2019, leading the city to file a complaint against the building owner. Police also answered 20 calls for service in 2019, according to news reports.

The building is said to be owned by a veteran Chicago police officer, Enrique Badillo Sr., according to WGN. A Chicago police spokesman said an officer of the same name was relieved of his police duties last Friday, pending the outcome of an internal investigation.