Witness 1
Witness 1 related himself, Witness 2, Witness 7 and Witness 8, and Shooter exited the elevator on the 48th floor, and the group immediately heard screaming and someone pounding on doors. Witness 1 observed a male Black in a black robe say, "Hey buddy, what happened?". Witness 1 described a feeling of relief because he believed the male Black knew someone in his group. The male Black then "rushed" Witness 1 and struck him with a fist two to three times in the side of the head. The closed fist strikes that Witness 1 received caused him to fall backward into the wall. Witness 1 struck his elbow on the wall and fell into the group of people behind him. According to Witness 1 the male Black then struck Witness 2 in the jaw causing him to fall to the ground unconscious. Witness 1 described Witness 7 and Witness 8 as being behind him when he started to back up. Shooter said, "I have a gun, I have a license.". Witness 1 stated the male Black "punched the shooter, and the shooter fired four to five shots". Witness 2 was then observed by Witness 1 as he began to crawl away as Witness 1 backed up toward the elevator. Witness 1, Shooter, Witness 2, and John and Witness 8 all relocated back downstairs to the front desk via an elevator. It was then Witness 1 activated the Police Panic Alarm button located at the front desk. Please refer to Office of Emergency Management, audio recording, service call event# 2325713127 at 1937 hours where a third party alarm company notified 911 of a panic alarm activation.

Witness 2
Witness 2 said, upon arriving on the 48th floor, Witness 1 exited first followed by Witness 2 then the older couple (now known as Witness 7 and Witness 8) and the shooter. Screaming could be heard to their right and down the hallway. Witness 2 described the hallway having a dead end where you must turn right or left. The group walked to the end of the hallway toward the screaming and shouting and Witness 1 encountered (the victim) Victim first and Witness 1 asked Victim, "What was wrong?" Victim then rushed toward Witness 1 and began to strike him about the head and body. Witness 1 tried to fend off the attack and began to retreat. At some point, Witness 1 ended up behind Witness 2 and Victim then struck Witness 2 one time in the face causing him to fall to the ground. Witness 2 believed he was "knocked out" for a bit of time.

Witness 3
Witness 3 related she heard a loud disturbance in the hallway. Witness 3 said she looked through the peephole of her door, and observed a male Black banging on her door. Witness 3 utilized her cell phone in order to record the incident from inside her unit. The video recording captured voices in the hallway. The video containing audio of an interaction moments before the shooting was then provided to the Area Three Technology Center and R/D via email. Please refer to inventory# 15375000 for the complete video. Witness 3 then related she called "911" to report hearing an unknown number of shots.

Witness 4
Unit# XXXX was occupied by Witness 4 and his partner Witness 5. R/D reviewed body worn camera footage where Witness 4 related to responding officers that he heard a disturbance through the door and heard someone say, "I will shoot." Witness 4 saw a "man in a work uniform for the building" and then Witness 4 heard gunshots. Witness 4's observations were memorialized via recorded body worn camera under Axon Evidence.com Det TORRES Employee #111871.

Pursuant to a subpoena, on 28 Aug 2024, witnesses Witness 4 and Witness 5 presented themselves to the Cook County States Attorney's Office located at 26th and California, Cook County, Chicago IL in order to be interviewed by ASA John CHAMBERS. R/D was present during the interviews of Witness 4 and Witness 5. Both Witness 4 and Witness 5 related the same version of events as they were related to investigators in this case except Witness 4 recalled hearing what he describes as "a punch striking a meaty surface" before he heard shots being fired. Witness 4 went on to voice his displeasure with a firearm being involved in a disturbance in his hallway.

Witness 5
Witness 5 phoned the lobby after hearing a disturbance through the door. At 1930 hours Witness 5 stated she heard someone say, "I'm going to fuck you up." Witness 5 heard three gunshots then dialed "911" at 1934 hours.

Witness 6
Witness 6 related to Sgt KOLMAN that earlier in the night he heard yelling in the hallway. Witness 6 looked out of his door's peephole and saw his neighbor banging on his own door while yelling incoherent words. Witness 6 was referencing Unit# XXXX being banged on. Witness 6 called down to the front desk to report his observations. Witness 6 then observed his neighbor going toward doors on his floor and banging on their doors as well. Witness 6 went on to say a short time later the floor went silent. Witness 6 did not see the shooting, and Witness 6 never left the 29th floor.

Witness 7
Witness 7 said, "the elevator opens and we hear yelling". Witness 7 did not know what the individual was saying. Witness 7 stated, "the guy was pissed, angry out of his mind" when he referenced the demeanor of the male Black. Witness 7 went on to describe the male Black attacking the group with the group falling backward into each other 'like dominos". Witness 7 said Witness 2 was struck and was observed to be "wobbling". Witness 7 heard several gunshots as he was falling backwards. Witness 7 went on to say all the residents then entered the elevator except the guy who was shot.

Witness 8
Witness 8 related she was heading to dinner with her husband Witness 7 when a male Black exited the elevator and walked between herself and her husband in order to walk toward Unit# XXXX. When the male Black exited the elevator he said "Fucking white cra**ers". Witness 8 observed the male Black wearing underwear and a robe that was open and not tied. Witness 8 said she heard the individual yelling as he went down the hallway and she could hear pounding. Witness 8 and her husband boarded the elevator and while heading down to the lobby Witness 8 realized her and her husband have had a "bad habit of leaving the door unlocked" due to "letting their guard down with a door staff". Witness 8 wished to go back upstairs to verify if her door was indeed locked.

Witness 8 and Witness 7 informed the doorman of their observations before getting on the elevator. Witness 8 said a resident (now known as Shooter) stated, "I have a licensed to carry" which she believes to be a gun permit. Witness 8, her husband, Witness 1, a bald guy (now known as Witness 2), and Shooter entered the elevator. Witness 8 then noted when she took the elevator back to the 48th floor she did not go toward the yelling; Witness 8 instead went directly toward her residence in the opposite direction. Witness 8 heard gunfire and returned to help the bald guy who was uneasy on his feet. Witness 8 then asked if everyone was "okay". Witness 8 observed the victim Victim slumped on the floor. Witness 8 and the other residents then entered the elevator to return to the lobby. After police personnel arrived Witness 8 then departed for dinner.

Witness 9
Witness 9 related he was a fraternity brother of Victim. Witness 9 referred to Victim his nickname "Nickname". Witness 9 stated he has known "Nickname" since college. "Nickname" would seek help from Witness 9 with business ideas, and Witness 9 said "Nickname" wanted his analytical feedback. In the last two weeks Witness 9 has noticed "Nickname was off" and developed an unusual way of discussing topics. Witness 9 received a phone call from Victim the morning hours of 14 Sep 2023 where Victim Witness 9 just to listen and not speak. Victim to talk with Witness 9 about business ideas that were not grounded in reality. Witness 9 said "Nickname" seemed a little weird and eccentric.

Witness 9 said prior to the shooting he received a phone call from Friend, a fraternity brother at Florida State University, to inform Witness 9 as to Victim's mental state, Friend stated, "something was wrong with him, and he is not okay". Witness 9 received the call from Friend requesting Witness 9 conduct a well-being check because he had a close relationship with "Nickname" and Witness 9 was local to Victim. Witness 9 described his fear that Victim may "jump from the building" referencing the high rise where Victim resided. Witness 9 said he relocated to 60 E. Monroe and saw several police and fire department vehicles parked with their emergency lights activated. Witness 9 overheard police and citizens talk of a shooting. Witness 9 attempted to inquire with 60 E. Monroe staff and police if Victim was involved in the shooting that took place. Witness 9 then observed Victim being taken to a Chicago Fire Department ambulance via a stretcher. Witness 9 then contacted Victim's brother Brother and informed Brother that his brother had been shot. Witness 9 furnished R/D with a phone number for Brother.

After successfully being served a subpoena Witness 9 presented himself, on 29 Aug 2024, to the Cook County States Attorney's Office located at 26th and California, Cook County, Chicago IL in order to be interviewed by ASA John CHAMBERS. R/D was present during this interview where Witness 9 provided the same version of events previously related to investigators.

Shooter
R/D and assisting detectives had the occasion to interview Shooter. Shooter was read his Miranda rights by Det MONTALVO at 2155 hours on 14 Sep 2023. Shooter waived his right to counsel and Shooter related while in his condo he heard someone trying to "bang the door down". Shooter described the person as loud and very violent. Shooter stated the individual outside his door banging said, "I'm gonna break your door down". Shooter said he saw his door handle moving. Shooter related he called the door man and then he called "911". Shooter further related he "thought he was on drugs because he was talking about someone behind the mirror" referencing the individual outside his door he believed to be most likely Black. Shooter related the individual was "clearly not rational". Shooter relocated to the lobby after the individual departed his hallway. Shooter said he was joined by four other people who were headed to the elevator to go the 48th floor. Shooter related he didn't expect anything to go wrong with a group of people. Shooter related to Dets MONTALVO and STRAZZANTE that he observed the male Black on the 48th floor strike CLEMENT with a knife or possible weapon.

R/D took photographs of the injuries to the body of Shooter. Shooter had abrasions to both knees and his back.

Witness 1
Witness 1 interviewed by ASA GALLAGHER with R/D being present. Witness 1 essentially related the same facts of this case but went on to describe Victim's demeanor in more detail. Witness 1 told ASA GALLAGHER that Victim had, "vengeance in his eyes, and there was no negotiation". Witness 1 stated to ASA GALLAGHER that, "Shooter saved a lot of lives". Witness 1 said prior to the 14th of September Victim was very cordial and would usually "fist bump" with Witness 1, and Victim would ask Witness 1 "how are you doing?". Witness 1 said Victim was a "different person" when he was shot. Witness 1 related he sought medical treatment after leaving work on the night of the 14th into the early morning hours of the 15th of Sep 2023.

Victim
A data extraction was performed on the victim's iPhone and (3) Optical discs each inside an envelope along with a copy of the receipt from the law firm Romanucci and Blandin were inventoried under inventory# 15464853.A phone audio file recovered from the victim's iPhone, contains a male voice stating erratic statements and a speech which contains a high respiratory rate. The male voice went from excited, to crying, to being paranoid of police.

On 03 May 2024 R/D received Toxicology results from Det ANDINO who was assigned to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. NMS Labs, a third party, produced work order# 23362891 where Victim's toxicology results revealed the following substances: 11-Hydroxy Delta-9 THC, Amphetamine (Adderall etc), Benzoylecgonine (cocaine derivative), Delta-9 Carboxy THC, and Delta-9 THC. These results were forwarded to the Cook County States Attorney's Office.

Assistant States Attorney Jennifer MCCARTY
On 07 Mar 2025, R/D spoke with the Cook County States Attorney's Office Assistant States Attorney Jennifer McCarty and presented the facts of this case. After reviewing the facts of this investigation, ASA McCarty Rejected Charges for First Degree Murder at 1354 hours.

R/D requests this case be placed into an Exceptionally Clear Closed (Other Exceptional) Bar to Prosecute status.