A Chicago man who Evanston police have identified as a suspect in the city’s first homicide of the year is being held on the Cook County Jail on $150,000 bail on a firearms charge.
Police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan says Gary E. Johnson, 26, of 1755 E. 78th St. in Chicago, is facing a felony charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon because he had a gun on his person when he was taken into custody.
The man who died in the Aug. 14 attack, Hamza Hammouis, 25, was a recent immigrant from France and had lived in Chicago for less than a month when he died. He had gotten married earlier this summer.
Dugan says detectives are still investigating the circumstances around the shooting, which occurred about 2:45 a.m. near the intersection of Howard Street and Chicago Avenue.
Hammouis’ wife, Jennifer Hess, told the Chicago Tribune that she and Hammouis had gone out early that Monday morning with one of his sisters who was visiting from Paris to take pictures of the city when they were confronted by a man who started an argument with Hammouis that ended with the shooting.
A Facebook page that Hammouis maintained, turned into a memorial since his death, contains three images posted over a period of six months this year of a masked man posing with what appears to be the same gun in different settings.
An image from the Facebook page of Hamza Hammouis.
It could not be determined from the images whether the man with the gun in the pictures was Hammouis.
Dugan now says any charges against Johnson in the homicide are not likely to be filed until Thursday at the earliest.
Related stories
Suspect in custody in Howard Street homicide (8/22/17)
Man shot to death at Chicago and Howard (8/14/17)
Howard St./Chicago Ave. shooting
The Evanston Now media and the Evanston Police Dept……please get your FACTS together before you print….I looked at this young man, Hamza Hammouis facebook stuff for over 6 mos, and l read and looked at Gary E. Johnson info on him…. My heart with feeling still go out to these two young men and their families…..Lets see….They both were fist fighting each other..right?? Later, one man whipped out a gun ..from where.and when….who gave it to him…was he packing without a permit for this gun…that he was killed with …was this an accident..and/.or self defense…now this young man , Gary Johnson run away … keeps the gun with him , I guess,scared as hell because….l looked at Hamza facebook…with faces covered (trick or treat masks on,??) and with pointed guns..at who??/// and did l read and see NIGGA words????? Now, l’m really confused!! But, l will keep on trying to be FAIR minded….Evanston Now and Officer Dugan….l asked that you wait for more facts befo you print your story and / or tell the stories more fairly…More confusion we do not need.. Madelyn Ducre’, Founder of CNEF…Colour Network for Equality and Fairness . Thank you ..I do hope you print these concerns..
Updates
Hi Madelyn,
You’re commenting on a story that’s two weeks old. Perhaps you should read our most recent story on the case if you’re seeking more clarity.
— Bill