Logan Square House Where 6-Year-Old Was Shot Shut Down By The City
By Mae Rice in News on Jun 16, 2016 7:13PM
The home at 2108 N. Bingham St., with a city notice in the window (Mae Rice/Chicagoist)
Update below: A Logan Square home where a six-year-old girl was shot earlier this month has been shut down by the city. As of last week, the entire premises of 2108 N. Bingham St. must remain vacant and unoccupied, according to an order to vacate posted in the window, first covered by DNAinfo on June 15. (We've posted photos of all the public notices mentioned in this piece at the bottom of this story.)
Last Wednesday, the Department of Buildings posted the order to vacate at the home—which the Tribune reports belongs to shooting victim Jaylene Bermeo's aunt—after it failed a Department of Buildings inspection. Member's of the department's Strategic Task Force found that the home had insufficient smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, exposed wiring and a rooftop deck with no guard rail, Department of Buildings spokesperson Mimi Simon said in an email statement. The task force went to investigate the property following multiple complaints, including a 311 call.
In a hearing last Thursday for the 17-year-old charged in the shooting, prosecutors said that the home has been a long-standing hub of Spanish Cobra gang activity. Assistant State's Attorney Patricia Berlin argued the shooting was part of a "war" between the Cobras and the Maniac Latin Disciples, the Tribune reports.
"There was a history with the building before we went out there," Simon told Chicagoist.
A hearing about the home was held at Daley Center on Thursday, Simon said; we'll update this post with more details of that hearing as they're made public. (Update, 5 p.m.: At today's hearing, the home's owner agreed to list the property for sale, keep it "vacant and secure" until further notice from the court, "immediately" shut off electricity on the property due to safety concerns and ban two people—Lino Quen and Nicole Melendez—from the premises, Simon said in an email statement.)
Though Simon said that orders to vacate are "not [issued] very often," the home at 2108 N. Bingham isn't the only one in its area with such a notice posted out front. Another one, dated Feb. 22, is posted outside of 2626 W, Francis Place—less than 500 feet away.
On June 6, Bermeo was shot in the back while playing outside the house during a party at the home on June 6. The day after, the 17-year-old boy was arrested and charged with one felony count of aggravated battery and discharge of a firearm in relation to the shooting. (His name hasn't been released because he's a minor.)
After the shooting, Bermeo was taken to St. Mary's in critical condition, then transferred to Stroger. The Sun-Times reports she was readmitted to the hospital today, two days after being released. The Tribune reported that the bullet punctured Bermeo's lung and lodged near her heart.
The Department of Buildings notice posted in the window at 2108 N. Bingham St. (Mae Rice/Chicagoist)
The Department of Buildings notice posted in the window at 2626 W. Francis Pl. (Mae Rice/Chicagoist)