2 arrested in Chicago shooting death of Nykea Aldridge
CHICAGO - Chicago police arrested two brothers and charged them with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Nykea Aldridge, who was gunned down Friday on her way to register her children for school, a police spokesman said.
Communications director Anthony Guglielmi announced on Twitter the arrests of Derren Sorrells, 22, and his older brother, 26-year-old Darwin. They appeared in court Sunday and were ordered held without bail.
Guglielmi described Derren Sorrells as a “documented member of the Gangster Disciples” and said he is currently on parole. Darwin was described as a “co-conspirator” who is also on parole for a gun charge.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson plans to release more information at a news conference later Sunday.
Aldridge, a 32-year-old mother of four and cousin of NBA star Dwyane Wade, was pushing a baby in a stroller near the school when two men walked up and fired shots at a third man but hit Aldridge in the head and arm. She wasn’t the intended target, Cmdr. Brendan Deenihan said at a news conference Sunday, but rather a driver who had just dropped off passengers in the neighborhood.
There is video of the incident, Deenihan said, but no weapon was recovered and police don’t know where the weapon is.
Authorities are investigating whether the encounter was a robbery, possibly involving a driver from a ridesharing company, Guglielmi said Saturday.
Chicago has been in the throes of a major uptick in gun violence this year, largely centered in a few South and West Side neighborhoods, after years of seeing declines. This July alone, there were 65 homicides - the most that month since 2006.
Dozens of people gathered at a Chicago church Sunday for a prayer service to remember Aldridge. Her parents, sister, nieces and nephews wept as they spoke about the woman they said was a gifted writer and “fighter of the family.”
Wade, whose charitable organization, Wade’s World Foundation, does community outreach in the Chicago area, signed with the Chicago Bulls in July after 13 years with the Miami Heat. He and his mother, pastor Jolinda Wade, participated Thursday via satellite in a town hall meeting in Chicago on gun violence hosted by ESPN.
Wade has reacted to his cousin’s shooting only online, tweeting Friday: “My cousin was killed today in Chicago. Another act of senseless gun violence. 4 kids lost their mom for NO REASON. Unreal. #EnoughIsEnough.”
Wade also tweeted Saturday morning: “The city of Chicago is hurting. We need more help& more hands on deck. Not for me and my family but for the future of our world. The YOUTH!” adding in a following tweet, “These young kids are screaming for help!!! #EnoughIsEnough.”
It is not the first time Dwyane Wade’s family in Chicago has been affected by gun violence. His nephew, Darin Johnson, was shot twice in the leg in 2012 but recovered.
It also became a hot-button issue in the 2016 presidential campaign. Donald Trump tweeted Saturday morning:
Hours later, he also tweeted out his condolences:
The GOP nominee faced a backlash on social media for politicizing Aldridge’s death.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence sidestepped questions Sunday morning on CNN’s “State of the Union” about the flow of guns into Illinois from his state as the U.S. presidential campaign delves into the issue of Chicago violence. Chicago police have said more than half of the guns used in crimes come from out of state, including about 20 percent from Indiana. When asked about it, Pence instead brought up failing schools in Chicago and his running mate Donald Trump’s pledge to create jobs.