Michael Jordan Still Got It!

Micheal Jordan shows that he still have it even at the age of 50! Watch as he jokes around with kids and dunks. 

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4 Yr Old Girl Shot, Among Others

A 4-year-old girl was shot and seriously hurt on the Northwest Side in one of three shootings across the city that left eight people injured overnight, authorities said.

The first shooting happened shortly about 10:25 p.m., as the girl, Shyla Rivera, and four others sat inside a silver Nissan Altima in the Portage Park neighborhood, according to police.

One of the people inside the vehicle told police that they had been stopped at the intersection of Central Avenue and Irving Park Road and that they had noticed another vehicle, a beige or gray Infiniti G35, in the left turn lane at that intersection.

That vehicle moved over and proceeded north on Central ahead of the Altima, according to preliminary police reports. But as the Altima approached Cullom Avenue, about three blocks north of the intersection, the other car came alongside and a passenger leaned out the window with a gun and fired several shots at the Altima. After the shooting, the offenders' car continued north and turned east at Montrose Avenue, about two blocks away.

One bullet struck the girl in the hip; two others, ages 17 and 20, were also hit by gunfire, according to police. One of them is the girl's brother, police said.

The girl had been sitting in the center rear position of the car, with passengers on either side; the driver and another passenger were in the front of the car. The three passengers in the back seat were the only ones hit by gunfire, police said.

The driver of the Altima turned the car around and pulled into a parking lot near the intersection of Central and West Irving Park Road, police said.

From there, paramedics took the girl to Lutheran General Hospital. The 17-year-old, who was shot in the left thigh, and the 20-year-old, who was shot in the left elbow and right leg, were both taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

The two males were initially in serious-to-critical condition at the time but were later treated and released, according to police an fire department officals. The girl was in good condition at Lutheran General where she was admitted for observation, police said.

The 4-year-old victim was reported in good condition at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where she is being treated for a gunshot wound to her right thigh.

The girl's uncle, Anthony Matos, 30, described his niece as a "sweetheart" who is very outgoing.

"She's pretty much like a princess. She gets everything she wants,” he said outside the family home on the Northwest Side.

Matos said his niece was tagging along with her two older brothers as they drove two friends home.

"She was just going for a ride. She always follows her brothers' footsteps," Matos said.

Matos stopped by the crime scene and said the car driven by one of his nephews was shot up.

"I just hope they get caught," he said of the gunmen. "Karma comes back to you. It will bite you."

Following the shooting, police blocked traffic on Central between Hutchinson Street and West Cullom Avenue. Officers also guarded the Altima, which remained parked in front of a 7-11 with at least nine bullet-sized dents visible in the passenger's side.

While the shooting remains under investigation, it appears likely the shooter mistook at least one of the car's occupants for someone else, a police source said. The injured occupants are not gang members, and no road rage incident preceded the shooting, police said.

Police found at least five shell casings at the scene and believed the shooter used a 9-millimeter handgun.

Police said that the Altima had just left an area about 4 miles southwest of where the shooting occurred and was headed to a home about a mile away from the shooting scene to drop off one or more of the passengers.

In a separate shooting that happened minutes later on the South Side, three people were hurt when a shooter emerged from a gangway and opened fire in the 9000 block of South Ada Street in the Brainerd neighborhood, Chicago Police Department News Affairs Officer Ron Gaines said.

A 17-year-old boy was shot in the shoulder and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, and a 19-year-old man was shot in the thigh and taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital, police said. A 23-year-old man was also grazed in the head and taken to St. Bernard Hospital.

All three were listed in fair condition.

In a third shooting, a 21-year-old woman and a 36-year-old man were shot about 3:45 a.m. in the 1400 block of West 84th Street in the Gresham neighborhood, authorities said. Police believe the two were sitting in a park when someone opened fire, striking the man in the leg and the woman in the stomach.

Both people were taken to Advocate Christ, where their conditions were stabilized.

No suspects were in custody as of early this morning.

asege@tribune.com | Twitter: @AdamSege

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Copyright © 2013 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC

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2 Killed, 12 Hurt Across Chicago

Two men were killed and 14 people wounded in shootings across the city Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning, including a pair of shootings that each left one man dead and one wounded.

Two men, 54 and 26, were shot in the 2900 block of South State Street in the Dearborn Homes neighborhood about 6:15 p.m. The 54-year-old died.

Both were initially taken to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in critical condition. Ralph McNeal, of the 5200 block of South Indiana Avenue, was pronounced dead there at 7:20 p.m.

Another two men were shot in the 1000 block of North St. Louis Avenue in the Humboldt Park neighborhood about 10:15 p.m. An 18-year-old taken to Stroger hospital died and the other man, 24, is in critical condition at Mount Sinai Hospital but is expected to survive.

The Cook County medical examiner's office didn't release the name of the man who died.

Police found close to 30 shell casings at the scene from a variety of weapons that were fired from the intersection of Augusta Boulevard and St. Louis Avenue toward where the two men were standing further north on St. Louis.

Police believe the attackers may have shot through their own car windows – thousands of shards of glass were found amidst the shell casings.

In other shootings across the city:

• A 33-year-old man was shot about 6:43 a.m. near 32nd Street and Komensky Avenue in the Little Village neighborhood, police said. He was shot in the chest and arm and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition.

• A woman whose age wasn't available was shot about 5:55 a.m. in the leg in the 4400 block of West Dickens Avenue in the Hermosa neighborhood, police said. She drove to Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center after realizing she had been shot while driving. Her condition has stabilized.

• A gunman shot a 29-year-old man in the wrist and grazed a 22-year-old woman in the forehead as the pair sat in a car after leaving a party about 2:45 a.m. Sunday. They were shot in the 3100 block of West Fillmore Street in the Lawndale neighborhood and drove to Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center. Both are in good condition, Chicago Police Department News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said.

• Near 71st and Wood streets in the Englewood neighborhood about 2:30 a.m., an 18-year-old woman walking with her aunt was shot in the knee. They heard shots and felt pain, Greer said. She's in good condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center.

• Someone shot from one car into another next to a gas station in the 5700 block of Fullerton Avenue in the Belmont Central neighborhood about 12:50 a.m, police said. A 30-year-old man was shot in the knee about a block west of Central Avenue as he sat in one of the cars; he was driven from there to Kilpatrick Avenue and Fullerton Avenue, where police and an ambulance found him. He was taken to Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center.

• A 30-year-old man was shot in the 7900 block of South Francisco Avenue in the Wrightwood neighborhood about 10:15 p.m., police said. He was shot in the lower right leg and is in stable condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center.

• Someone shot a 27-year-old man near Rockwell Street and Wabansia Avenue in the Logan Square neighborhood. The shooting happened about 11:30 p.m. and the man's condition has stabilized at Norwegian-American Hospital. He was on a bike when someone in an SUV shot at him, police said.

• About 9 p.m., a 16-year-old boy was shot in the 7100 block of South Sangamon Street in the Englewood neighborhood, officials said. The victim suffered a gunshot or graze wound to the head, Greer said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center and was stabilized, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Chief Juan Hernandez said.

• About 7 p.m., a 33-year-old man was shot in the 2400 block of East 106th Street in the Trumbull Park neighborhood on the South Side, said News Affairs Officer Joshua Purkiss. The man, who was shot in the ankle, walked into Advocate Trinity Hospital for treatment.

• About 5:05 p.m., a 16-year-old boy was shot in the back and stomach in the 1400 block of East 74th Street in the Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side, said News Affairs Officer Veejay Zala. The boy was taken to Jackson Park Hospital in serious condition, he said.

• About 12:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon, a man was in an alley in the 1800 block of West 44th Street in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the South Side when he was shot, said News Affairs Officer Michael Sullivan. He suffered wounds to the arm, leg and buttocks, Sullivan said. The man, 22, was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, according to a Chicago Fire Department spokesman.

chicagobreaking@tribune.com | Twitter: @ChicagoBreaking

Copyright © 2013 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC

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2 Dead, 8 Wounded in Overnight Shootings

Two men were killed and another eight people wounded in shootings all over the city Friday night and Saturday morning.

One of the dead men, 21, was shot just east of the intersection of 79th Streets and Yates Boulevard in the South Chicago neighborhood. He was shot "multiple times" about 4 a.m., police said.

The man was identified as Jacoby Herron of the 7900 block of South Oglesby Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Herron was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The other, an 18-year-old man, was shot in the 6800 block of South St. Lawrence Avenue in the Park Manor neighborhood about 8:15 p.m. He was taken to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in critical condition but later died of his wounds. 

He was identified as Kenneth Barbour of the 1600 block of East 85th Street, according to the medical examier's office. Barbour was pronounced dead at 11:32 p.m. at Stroger Hospital.

Elsewhere in the city, a 17-year-old boy was shot at 38th Street and Wentworth Avenue in the Wentworth Gardens neighborhood as fans trickled out of U.S. Cellular Field two blocks north. He was hit once in the shoulder and taken to Stroger hospital. Police said the boy collapsed on a basketball court after being shot about 10 p.m.

About 11:30 p.m., a 24-year-old man was shot in the leg in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side. Someone fired toward him from a gangway in the 1900 block of South Harding Avenue and the man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he's in stable condition. 

Two people were shot about 1 a.m. in the 5800 block of West Irving Park Road in the Portage Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side. A 21-year-old was shot in the leg and a 22-year-old was grazed in the abdomen, Chicago Police Department News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said. The older refused medical treatment at the scene and the younger was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in stable condition. 

A 24-year-old man was shot about 1 a.m. in the 7400 block of North Rogers Avenue in the Rogers Park neighborhood. He ran to a nearby CTA station where police found him. He is in stable condition at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston. 

About 2:05 a.m. an 18-year-old woman was shot in the 1700 block of East 71st Street in the South Shore neighborhood. She walked into Jackson Park Hospital with a wound to her foot and was later released. 

A 26-year-old man was shot in the buttocks about 2:30 a.m. when someone in a group on the 1400 block of North Spaulding Avenue in Humboldt Park fired toward his car. The driver took the man to Norwegian-American Hospital and the man is expected to survive.

About 4:30 a.m. a man walked into Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center with a wound to his thigh. The man, whose age was not available, had been shot near the intersection of Belmont and California avenues in the Avondale neighborhood, police said. 

chicagobreaking@tribune.com |Twitter:@ChicagoBreaking

Copyright © 2013 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC

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Dreezy - DSM Cover Art

With the delay of Dreezy's mixtape, "SCHIZO", she decides to release a project that will soon lead to official mixtape drop. The "Break A Band" artist will drop DSM (diagnostic and statistical manual) on August 10th as a pre-tape. Hosted by DJ Honorz. 

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2 Brothers Slain in Chicago

Two brothers were found shot to death inside a red Dodge Charger in the West Pullman neighborhood early Tuesday, police said.

Family members identified the men as Leandre and Demetrius Cooper. Police say the brothers, 38 and 35, were found unresponsive in the front seats of the late-model sports car in the 100 block of East 120th in the Far South Side neighborhood.

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Lil Durk Talks Chief Keef beef, Mixtape Release x Previews New Single

Lil Durk stops by DJ Moondawg radio show to chop up different topics. Listen as he talks about the beef with Chief Keef, his mixtape, of course his jail sentence as well as preview his new single, produced by Young Chop.

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Blanco Caine White America Tracklist

White America drops tomorrow!!! Hosted by Bigga Rankin Superstar J Kwik and Vic Lloyd, the official tracklist is here! 

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9 Year Old Missing from South Side

Chicago police are asking for the public's help in finding a 9-year-old South Side boy who has been missing since he attended summer school classes Friday.

Julius Willis was last seen about 7:42 a.m. Friday when his mother left him for summer classes at Paul Cuffe Academy, 8324 S. Racine Ave., in the Gresham neighborhood on the South Side, police said. He attended  classes at the school but did not return home.

According to police, Julius is 4 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 85 pounds. He was wearing a red long-sleeved T-shirt with the word "volleyball" written on it, red shorts and black suede Adidas shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at (312) 747-8274

chicagobreaking@tribune.com | Twitter: @ChicagoBreaking

Copyright © 2013 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC

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Dwayne Wade Reaches Financial Settlement w/ Ex-wife

Dwayne Wade and his ex wife, Siohvaughn Funches, have come to a financial divorce settlement after 6 years. Dwayne Wade will pay his ex wife $5 million with a non-disparage agreement included. About a week ago, Funches sat outside the Daley Center with a handwritten sign (shown above) claiming to be homeless. ESPN reports the full story:

After six years and a messy battle that became public, Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade and his ex-wife have reached a financial divorce settlement, Wade's attorney announced on Monday.

Wade will pay his ex-wife $5 million, and there is a non-disparage agreement in the settlement, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Siohvaughn Funches, Wade's ex-wife, grabbed attention last week when she protested outside a Chicago courthouse with a sign that implied she was homeless because of a lack of support from Wade.

"Ms. Funches has made a mockery of homelessness which is a serious and personal issue for Mr. Wade as his mother was homeless for a period of time when he was a child," Wade's attorney, James B. Pritikin, said in a statement.

Wade initially filed for divorce from Funches, who is the mother to his two sons, in 2007. Wade won a separate long court battle in 2011 to get full custody of his children. Wade lives in Miami.

Pritikin said Wade has been providing $25,000 in monthly support for Funches, paying for a mortgage, four cars, insurance, taxes and attorney fees.

Earlier this month, Funches filed a lawsuit against Wade for failure to pay income from endorsement contracts as part of a 2008 agreement. That lawsuit was dismissed by the court last week, according to Wade's attorney.

Funches was arrested last year on misdemeanor charges of attempted child abduction, unlawful visitation interference and obstruction of a peace officer after an incident related to her visitation with the couple's sons. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, all the charges except obstruction of a peace officer were dismissed, and she faces a court date in September.

Pritikin says a court will decide whether Funches gets future visitation with her sons.

"The safety and well-being of his children are (Wade's) main priority," Pritikin said. "Due to Ms. Funches' current unstable mental state, her visitation will be determined by the court. Mr. Wade continues to hope that one day he will have a civil relationship with his ex-wife for the sake of their sons."

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King Louie Being Sued???



Since day 1, CocoLosoSays has and always will rock with King Louie. One of our city's favorite artists is allegedly being sued for setting up a fight! BET.com reported the story, read on to find out more. 

Chicago's King Louie was implicated in arranging a videotaped fight over stolen sunglasses for publicity and "economic gain," reports HipHopDX.com.

According to documents posted on Court House News, Jazmine Berry filed suit in the Illinois Cook County Courthouse alleging King L (birth name Louis Johnson) invited her to his Chi-Town home for a pre-planned ambush, which he then recorded. Berry claims her attacker, Josephine Conley, was in on the plan.

Further detailing the events, Berry said she was asked over for breakfast in June. After a "brief social conversation," Louie "suggested everyone go to the back porch," where Conley later showed up and accused Berry of stealing his Marc Jacobs glasses.

Prior to the incident, Berry said, she had never met Conley, who "began to viciously attack" her while others laughed. "During the attack, defendant Johnson and the unidentified individuals laughed at Ms. Berry and referenced 'DJ Nate,' another musician who had been the subject of a beating video," the complaint reads. "Ms. Berry pleaded with defendant Johnson, asking him why he was doing this to her. Defendant Johnson continued filming the attack and continued laughing."

Louie and an "unidentified individual" filmed the brawl from "two separate recording devices" with the goal of using the video as a marketing ploy, Berry asserts.  

Police were never called to the scene.

The footage, which grabbed less than 10,000 pageviews, was posted on YouTube under the title "#MarcJacobsBandit Gets Caught Lacking" and promoted on Twitter in the weeks before his Jeep Musicmixtape release.

Berry is also suing Conley and seeks $1 million for damages, battery, conspiracy and emotional distress. Louie's label, Epic Records, was not named in the suit.

King Louie nor his camp has made any statements regarding the issue at hand. Whether or not if the story is true, CoCoLosoSays wishes King Louie the best of luck and success.  

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ZMoney - Ben Franklin Trailer

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6 Yr Old Girl Shot in Chest

The sun was setting over a South Side memorial for a man shot to death in 2008 when one young man spotted two others and started shooting.

The two returned fire. And when the bullets had stopped flying about 8 p.m. in the 300 block of West 105th street in the Burnside neighborhood, the only two victims were innocent bystanders, one a 6-year-old girl on her scooter who was hit in the chest, collapsed, and writhed a bit before she stopped moving, according to witnesses.

"It was horrific. Gruesome," 21-year-old Imani Branch said.

The child and her 52-year-old aunt both sustained through-and-through gunshot wounds, police said. The woman was shot in the thigh. Both are at Advocate Christ Medical Center, the younger in serious condition. The condition for the older woman had stabilized.

They were among two people killed and six wounded in shootings that started in late evening Friday. The two dead were in Humboldt Park on the West Side and Gresham on the South Side.

Area resident Tasha Moore said about 40 people had gathered in the area around 105th Street as a memorial for a man they all knew, Brandon Snype, who had been shot and killed 5 years ago while sitting in a porch on the same block. Moore said the 52-year-old woman who was shot was related to Snype.

Moore said the girl was riding a scooter with a group of children when she was shot, though Moore did not see where the shots came from.

Many in the group ducked or ran away after the shots were fired, Moore said.

Branch and her 20-year-old girlfriend Shushana Moore said they were trying to park and meet up with family when the shooting started. They doubled around the block in their car and sped toward the scene, where they saw dozens of people were on the ground or trying to run. Police weren't there yet.

The 911 call taker told callers to find a blanket or towel and cover the child's wound, which was gushing blood onto her white pants and the big flower on her belt buckle, down to her flip-flops, witnesses said. She still wasn't moving.

"I've never seen so much blood in my life," Shushana Moore said.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene, with as many as 40 people trying to flee the gunfire and dozens of police streaming into the neighborhood, an area targeted by the department for extra coverage because of persistent violence.

"It was three minutes but it felt like thirty," Branch said. "Anybody you could think of had blood on them"

Police worked into the night, until rain swept through the area, gathering the casings from fired rounds and other evidence from the scene.

"It's sad. It's real sad," Tasha Moore said. "They need to do something out here. Call the national guard in."

Other attendees of the memorial said shootings are common on 105th Street, an area some people call "Trouble City."

The barbecue is an annual event in an area rife with gangs. Police said two gangs – each of which only claims a few blocks of territory – are in conflict with each other in the area.

In other shootings:

• A 20-year-old man was killed in the 3800 block of West Hirsch Street in Humboldt Park. Someone shot him about 9:30 p.m. and he died in surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital, police said. The shooting may stem from an ongoing conflict between gangs in the area. The Cook County medical examiner's office identified the man as Carlos Barron, but was unable to say where the man lived.

• Someone walked up to a 27-year-old man and shot him in the head about 7:50 p.m. in the 8100 block of South Vincennes Avenue in Gresham. He was pronounced dead at Advocate Christ Medical Center, authorities said. The Cook County medical examiner's office identified him as Maurice Gibson, of the 7900 block of South Ashland Avenue.

• Police found rocks of cocaine next to a 26-year-old man that had been shot about 1 a.m. in the 5900 block of South Sangamon Street in the Englewood neighborhood, police said. The man was hit in the abdomen and arm and taken to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in serious condition. The shooter opened fire from the inside of a passing dark car while the 26-year-old was walking on a sidewalk.

• Someone shot a 24-year-old man in both legs about 10:55 p.m. in the 7800 block of South Ellis Avenue in the Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side. Someone shot him from a passing white sedan, police said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where his condition had stabilized.

• An 18-year-old man was shot about 9:15 p.m. in the 9400 block of South Racine Avenue in the Brainerd neighborhood on the South Side. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in good condition, police said.

• In the 10100 block of South Union Avenue in the Fernwood neighborhood on the South Side, a 25-year-old man was shot about 8:20 p.m. Additional details about the shooting weren't immediately available.

Jeremy Gorner contributed.

dawilliams@tribune.com | Twitter: @neacynewslady

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Copyright © 2013 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC

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Kanye West Goes Off On Papparazzi AGAIN

Kanye West Goes Postal on Another Photog -- Angle #2 - Watch More Celebrity Videos or Subscribe

Kanye West once again, goes off on papparazi. This time, he gets physical. Idk what's going on, but jail time is not a good look for you!!

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WELCOME HOME DURK

It has been officially announced that Lil DURK is a FREE MAN! DURK made a couple of tweets announcing his freedom as well as him dropping new music tonight. Cocolososays has missed you Lil DURK and can't wait to hear what's in store!! 

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Grandmother Charged in death of Granddaughter

The excuses started as far back as Easter. Relatives said there always seemed a reason why they couldn't visit 8-year-old Gizzell Kiara Ford, who was living with her grandmother.

"Gizzell can't talk, she's in the shower or on punishment. It was an excuse every time we called," said Gizzell's uncle, Osvaldo J. Mercado.

On Sunday, Mercado and other relatives struggled with anger and disbelief as the grandmother, Helen M. Ford, 51, was charged with murder in the death of the little girl. Prosecutors accused Ford of strangling Gizzell on Friday, but they said the grandmother had been beating, cutting and burning Gizzell over a period of time.

Chicago firefighters found the girl's body around 11 a.m. Friday, lying face up in a room with her bedridden father at Ford's home in the 5200 block of West Adams Street, according to police and Assistant State's Attorney Amanda Pillsbury.

The prosecutor said Gizzell had injuries old and new over her entire body: Cuts, bruises and scratches to her face, ears and lips, bruises and puncture wounds on her back, chest and abdomen and bruises on her arms and legs.

Her neck showed signs of hemorrhaging and fractures and broken cartilage, Pillsbury said. The girl also suffered deep lacerations to her buttocks and had ligature marks on her ankles and wrists, as well as circular burns on her body that may have been cigarette burns, Pillsbury said.

When they examined the home for evidence, police took a pole, twine and cables, some of them smeared with blood. In the bedroom where the girl was found, investigators found blood splattered near her body, Pillsbury said.

Investigators also determined that Gizzell had suffered trauma to her head long enough ago that maggots had hatched in the cuts and spread to the front of her scalp while she was still alive.

"Everybody is in shock," said Mercado, 30, who lives in Schiller Park.

"We want justice and we want answers."

Two of girl's brothers, 9 and 12, also lived in the home and have been placed in foster care, according to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The agency said it is investigating both the grandmother and the father.

When the girl's body was discovered, Ford told police that Gizzell had hurt herself because she was upset her mother was not visiting her. Ford said the girl would run into furniture and bang her head on things, according to a police report. The girl also told Helen Ford she was being abused by her mother's boyfriend, the report said.

On Friday, according to the grandmother, the girl asked for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich around 11 a.m. While she was eating it, she couldn't move and was "really sore," Ford said, according to the report. The grandmother told her she needed to sit in a hot bath and when she gave her water to drink, the child stopped breathing, the police report said.

When police arrived, the child's body was "cold," according to the report.

Mercado, the girl's uncle, said Gizzell was expected to go on a camping trip with an aunt on Friday but Ford would not allow her to go. "Helen blocked everybody," he said.

Mercado said "Gizzy" was a smart, chatty girl who loved ribs.

"She was outgoing, she spoke to everybody. She had a brain, she had manners," Mercado said. "It was like one big party when she got together with her cousins."

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Trayvon Martin Supporters Protest

SANFORD, Florida --Trayvon Martin supporters and civil rights demonstrators turned out at rallies across the country to condemn racial profiling after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of the unarmed black teenager even as President Barack Obama called for calm on Sunday.

Zimmerman, cleared late on Saturday by a Florida jury of six women, still faces public outrage, a possible civil suit and demands for a federal investigation.

With civil rights activists clamoring for federal civil rights charges, the U.S. Justice Department said it was evaluating whether it has enough evidence to support prosecution of Zimmerman in federal court after his acquittal in Florida.

Zimmerman's lawyers argued he acted in self-defense the night of February 26, 2012, when, they say, Martin attacked Zimmerman inside a gated community in the central Florida town of Sanford. They accuse civil rights advocates of wrongly injecting the issue of race.

"It was such a shame. The whole case nearly destroyed George from day one ... . That they put a racism spin on this prosecution just hurt him very deeply," said John Donnelly, a close friend of Zimmerman who testified in the trial.

Critics contend Zimmerman, 29, who is white and Hispanic, wrongly suspected Martin, 17, of being a criminal because he was black. Zimmerman called police to report a suspicious looking person, then left his car with a fully loaded Kel Tec 9mm pistol concealed in his waistband.

A fight ensued in which Zimmerman suffered a bloody nose and head injuries, and Zimmerman shot Martin once in the heart.

The teenager had no criminal record and was staying in the neighborhood at the home of his father's fiancee. He had been walking back from a convenience store where he had bought candy and a soft drink.

Protests around the country

Saturday's not-guilty verdict was decried by civil rights leaders and protests were organized in several cities, including Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento and here in Chicago.

At least 150 people gathered outside the Daley Center in Chicago on Sunday to protest.

Thousands of protesters chanting "No justice, no peace" gathered in New York City on Sunday to protest the acquittal, which prompted rallies across the country.

"I feel if we don't step it up, we're in trouble," said Prince Akeem, 20, of the Bronx. "It's young blacks being targeted and we have to stand up, stand up to the cops."

About 1,000 to 2,000 of the demonstrators abandoned the protest site at Union Square to march in the streets toward Times Square, slowing or stopping traffic. Police attempted to funnel the crowd into controlled lanes but were unable to.

Police attempted to halt the march about eight blocks short of Times Square, which was already packed with tourists, but the demonstrators made their way around the officers.

In Los Angeles, more than 200 protesters in Leimert Park engaged police in a brief standoff. The protesters surrounded at least three patrol cars and repeatedly chanted "Trayvon Martin!

About a dozen other officers in riot gear stood by a block away. Some protesters chanted epithets at the officers, according to the Los Angeles Times.

After about 10 minutes, the demonstrators let the officers drive through the crowd. The police eventually left and the demonstration continued peacefully.

In Boston, about 500 racially mixed protesters left their demonstration site in the Roxbury neighborhood and started marching in the streets alongside police escorts on motorcycle and on foot. "They've been very orderly," Boston police superintendent William Evans said.

'Hurt, sad' in Sanford, Florida

Around Sanford, some residents expressed relief at the verdict, while others said they failed to see how Zimmerman could have been acquitted.

"You said he's not guilty, but why would you say he's not guilty?" 28-year-old Robyn Miller said. "It's crazy."

Obama, who once said, "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon," called for a peaceful response to a case that polarized the U.S. public from the beginning, raising issues of racial profiling and gun control.

"We are a nation of laws and a jury has spoken," the first black U.S. president said in a statement. "I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son."

The jurors who deliberated for 16 hours over two days found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter. All six women, who were sequestered for the three weeks of testimony, declined to speak to reporters and their identities were still sealed by the court.

In Sanford at the largely black Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church, pastor Valarie Houston dedicated a Sunday morning prayer service to Martin.

"I am hurt. I am sad. I am disappointed and my heart is overwhelmed with pains," Houston said. "I thought in my heart that justice would be served."

After the verdict, the focus seemed to be shifting to rallies and events in the upcoming days, and an examination of both Florida law, and whether the U.S. Department of Justuce should conduct a civil-rights investigation, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The Sanford Pastors Connection group has announced it will hold a public community prayer service Monday afternoon at New Life Word Church to encourage peace and unity, a city spokeswoman said. Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplett, City Manager Norton Bonaparte and Police Chief Cecil Smith are scheduled to attend.

Another group has called for a statewide day of action in Florida for Trayvon. Dream Defenders said it would demonstrate outside the Capitol building and other locations Tuesday in response to the Zimmerman verdict and other civil-rights issues.

Case under review

Zimmerman, who showed little reaction when the decision was read, was unshackled from a monitoring device he had been wearing while on bail. He previously only left home in a disguise and body armor, his lawyer said.

His brother said he would remain out of public view for some time. Friends said the former neighborhood watch volunteer had recently spoken about the possibility of entering law school.

The tense drama that climaxed with the verdict had been building for more than a year, since police initially declined to arrest Zimmerman for shooting Martin, whose gray hooded sweatshirt has become a symbol of injustice for protesters.

The acquittal will weaken any wrongful death civil lawsuit that Martin's family might bring. Zimmerman's lead defense lawyer, Mark O'Mara, predicted Zimmerman would seek and win immunity from a civil suit.

A Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday it would determine whether "the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation of any of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction."

Reuters, Los Angeles Times and the Orlando Sentinel

Copyright © 2013, Reuters

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No Bail for man Charged w/ Shooting of 7 yr Old Boy

A man accused of opening fire on a July 4th barbecue at a South Side park, wounding a 7-year-old boy, was ordered held without bail today.

Marshan D. Bradley, 21, of the 10900 block of South Vincennes Avenue, was free on probation at the time of the shooting, prosecutors said. He is charged with one count of aggravated battery, discharge of a firearm.

Witnesses identified Bradley as the front-seat passenger in a blue Pontiac who gave “menacing looks” at a group gathered about 7:30 p.m. last Thursday at Cole Park in the 300 block of East 85th Street in the Chatham neighborhood, according to prosecutors.

The car drove past the group three times and then Bradley emerged from an alley near the park and opened fire, prosecutors said.

A 7-year-old boy, who police said was not the intended target, was shot on the left side of his neck and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to officials. He was later released, police have said.

Four witnesses later identified Bradley as the shooter, authorities said.

Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. ordered him held without bail. He is scheduled to appear in court July 16.

Bradley’s girlfriend, Laura Wilson, 20, said outside the courtroom that Bradley was with her at the time of the shooting. “It wasn’t him,” she said.

According to court records, Bradley pleaded guilty in March 2013 to delivery of a controlled substance and was sentenced to two years of probation.  In June of 2012, he pleaded guilty to reckless conduct and was given six months of court supervision.

Early on July 5, the day after the 7-year-old was wounded, a 5-year-old boy was shot in another park on the South Side. He was also taken in critical condition to Christ Medical Center. In all, more than 70 people were shot over the long Fourth of July weekend, 11 of them fatally.

Tribune reporter Adam Sege contributed.

sschmadeke@tribune.com

Copyright © 2013 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC

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L.E.P Bogus Boys - Don't Feed Da Killaz Vol. 4 Cover Art

This is by far the dopest cover art I've seen thus far. The 4th installment of the mixtape drops August 6, until then keep watch for new music. 

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Waka Flocka Visits The Museum 44 for Street Order Campaign

This past weekend, Waka Flocka was in town. While visiting, he attended the launch of the "Street Order" campaign. A concept conceived by the Museum 44 "Where Hip Hop Meets History" program, joined by Plugged Fella Music Group, Blok Club DJs, and United in Peace Inc.  The campaign launch included Waka Flocka as well as other Chicago artists, such as Chella H, Bo Deal,Scientific, Naki The Beat Man, DJ Radio Champ, DJ Kool Ant and Media Partner Urban Grind TV and Da Konnect Media filmed the important event.

 While at the launch, Waka invested his time to do music videos with some of the local artists in Chicago. Museum 44 "Where Hip Hop Meets History" named in honor of the 44th president, Barack Obama is the youth and young adult division of the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum,  aimed at combating violence among youth through creative arts.  David A. Peterson Jr, president of the APRPPM stated, "We understand that it takes a voice such as Waka to reach the youth and to spark a change among them because of his influence."

We are very pleased that these artists have chosen to use their gifts in the genre of Hip Hop, to help address the violence in our community, Peterson said. "Some might say —how can someone who makes hood music dare to try to stop the Violence. Our philosophy is who better to do it? 

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