Thread: Ex-candidate, father among 4 charged in fatal gang shooting

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... wsroom-hed
Ex-candidate, father among four charged in fatal gang shooting
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The Associated Press

May 12, 2007, 4:32 PM CDT

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. -- A former city council candidate whose 7-year-old son was shot to death on the eve of Tuesday's primary election has been charged along with his father and two other men in the gang shootout that led to the boy's death.

Angel Silvas died in a hail of bullets Monday after his father confronted gang members, shouting, "I got my kid in the car and you're gonna disrespect me?" according to a probable cause affidavit.

On Friday, Lake County prosecutors charged Francisco Jose Avila, 20, of Hammond, in the boy's murder. Henry Gonzales, 21, of Hammond, was charged with assisting a criminal and a misdemeanor count of carrying a handgun without a license.

Angel Silvas' father, Michael Silvas Jr., 24, was charged with three felony counts each of pointing a firearm and criminal recklessness. Silvas failed in his primary election bid Tuesday for a seat on the East Chicago City Council.

His father, Michael Silvas Sr., 46, was charged with felony counts of carrying a handgun without a license and criminal recklessness.

The shooting left Angel Silvas, who was sitting in a car, with a single gunshot wound to the head. He died Monday night at St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago.

Witnesses told police that just before the shooting they saw Michael Silvas Jr. standing outside his car pointing a gun at two unarmed men crouched behind another car.

Others interviewed said Silvas, who was purportedly once a member of the Latin Kings but now of the Vice Lords, got angry because he thought one of the two men made a gang gesture toward him, according to the affidavit.

They told police that Silvas pulled out his gun. "I got you pinned. I got you pinned. Start something now," the report quoted him as saying.

"I got my kid in the car and you're gonna disrespect me?" a witness said Silvas told the man at whom he allegedly was pointing the gun.

Another man tried to calm down Silvas and told police Silvas was putting away his gun when his father, Michael Silvas Sr., came running out of his house shooting, the report states.

At that point, the candidate allegedly started shooting, too. But other witnesses reported that Michael Silvas Jr. shot first while still others said the first shots came from a group of men walking nearby. Avila and Gonzales were in that group of men, according to reports.

In a statement to police, Gonzales said he got a call from a fellow Latin King who told him Michael Silvas Jr. was pointing a gun at him. Gonzales said he and Avila armed themselves and drove to the area to "take care of the problem and defend a friend," the report states.

During the shootout, witnesses reported hearing more than 20 shots. Avila was hit in the leg and chin in exchange of gunfire.
Copyright © 2007, The Associated Press

This sounds like a bad version of Scar Face.

Yeah, they sure needed this character on the city council.

Yeah, they sure needed this character on the city council.

LOL......no lie. Gang members in political power!!! What is this country comming to?

Look at that little worm in Chicago, Luis Gutierrez. Who do you suppose voted him into office? I bet you every illegal in chicago voted (at least twice) for the little scumbag.