13-year old boy shot and killed by Chicago gang member at Pizzeria

Ivan Alanis, age 13

A 13-year old boy, Ivan Alanis, was entering a Chicago pizzeria with with his older sister and one of her friends when they encountered 22-year old gang member, Andre Alejandro, who "shouted gang slogans" and argued with them.  He then pulled a gun and shot Ivan in the mouth.  Ivan later died from his wound.

From an article:

Ivan, his older sister and her friend walked into the pizzeria about 2:15 a.m. Tuesday, as Alejandro and his friend were leaving, authorities said. Alejandro, of the 1400 block of West Chase Avenue, is an admitted member of the Gangster Disciples street gang and believed Alanis’ group to be members of a rival gang.

After Alejandro “exchanged words” with someone in the boy’s group, he pulled out a handgun and fired three times, striking Ivan in the mouth, Assistant State’s Attorney Angela Carlisle said. Ivan, of the 7400 block of North Western Avenue, was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

No one in Ivan’s group was armed, Carlisle said.

Alejandro, of the 1400 block of West Chase Avenue, fled after the shooting but was arrested about four hours later, Carlisle said. Surveillance footage captured him firing the shots, and numerous eyewitnesses identified him as the gunman. He also admitted to police he’d fired at least twice, then stashed the gun in a gangway, according to the prosecutor.

In addition to the 2008 conviction for the gang-related attack, Alejandro has a 2007 felony conviction for narcotics possession and numerous misdemeanor convictions on his record, Carlisle said.

Prosecutors did not say whether anyone in Ivan’s group was a gang member.

From a related article:

Ivan’s family was not in court but the boy’s sister-in-law told the Sun-Times Tuesday that he was an 8th grader at Armstrong Elementary School and had eight siblings.

“He was a nice boy, he was just a really nice boy,” Jennifer Montes said. “He was into soccer. He was so young to die. He was the baby” of the family.

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