A Riverdale man was charged Wednesday in connection with the shooting of an off-duty Chicago police officer and her daughter a day earlier.
Anthony Gates, 28, faces two counts of first-degree attempted murder and two counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, according to a statement from the Chicago Police Department. Gates, of the 13600 block of South Eggleston in Riverdale, appeared in court Thursday and had his bail set at $1.5 million.
Authorities alleged Gates went to the home of his ex-girlfriend, Elizabeth Henderson, at about 10 p.m. Tuesday in an effort to see their 2-year-old son. He arrived "in an agitated state," prosecutors said, because he felt he'd not been seeing his son as often as he'd like.
Henderson and her son were not at the home, on the 2200 block of East 68th Street, when Gates arrived, police said. They returned home as Gates was speaking to Henderson's father.
Prosecutors said Gates confronted Henderson about seeing someone else and pulled a semi-automatic handgun from his car. He fired "approximately 10 rounds" toward Henderson's mother, Samella Ramirez, who was in the driver's seat, striking her multiple times in the face and upper body.
Ramirez, 49, collapsed out of the car and Gates continued to shoot her before he turned his weapon on Henderson, police said. Henderson was struck by bullets in the leg.
Gates then ran up to Henderson, grabbed her by the neck, and hit her, prosecutors said. She was able to get away and ran down the street, at which point Gates grabbed his son and drove off.
Ramirez and Henderson were both taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Ramirez, who'd received 11 honorable mentions throughout her 24-year career with the Chicago Police Department, was initially in critical condition but had stabilized by early Wednesday, officials said.
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Gates and his son were found about 3.5 hours after the shooting at a family member's home, police said. The boy was unharmed.
Authorities said they later executed a search warrant on Gates' car and found the 9 mm handgun they think was used in the shooting. Additionally, 13 spent 9 mm shell casings were found outside Ramirez's car, they said.
Henderson late Wednesday posted on Facebook that she had visited her mother in the hospital: “Prayer Definitely Changes Things My Momma Is Conscious & Responsive Thank God,” she wrote. She also wrote that her mother was unable to talk, but was trying.
Earlier Tuesday, Ramirez had posted a status on Facebook to commemorate Veterans Day: "Happy Veterans Day to all veterans thank you for your service and all the veterans in my family."
Her shooting marked the fourth time a Chicago officer had been shot in about a month.
Police said Gates has a history of domestic violence with Henderson. He was sentenced to two years of probation for forgery in 2006, court records show.
Gates' next court appearance was scheduled for Dec. 3.
