5-31-18-ERNIE ALLEN’S-TOP STORY-

Chicago murders significantly decreased after 19-year-old Kenneka Jenkins‘ mysterious death last year. However, several homicides are still leaving city residents reeling.

A popular African-American hip hop vlogger was fatally shot while behind the wheel early morning Wednesday (May 30), Chicago’s WGN-TV reported. Zachary Stoner, 30, who went by “Zack TV,” was shot in the head and neck before his jeep went up a curb and crashed into a light pole. No one has been arrested in connnection with Stoner’s death as of Wednesday.

Just three days before Stoner’s shooting, Jenkins, whose body was found in September in a walk-in hotel freezer, was remembered during a tribute at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois Sunday (May 27). The celebration of life marked what would have been the Chicago teen’s 20th birthday, ABC7 Chicago reported.

Outrcy and protests erupted over Jenkins’ tragic and mysterious death at the Crowne Plaza Hotel last year. Publicly released graphic photos of the gruesome crime scene sent shockwaves through Chicago in October after authorities closed their investigation. A medical examiner later ruled Jenkins’ death an accident, however, significant questions remain as some details on her death are unknown.

Chicago has long struggled with crime and gun violence. The Chicago Police Department reported a decrease in the number of killings and shootings earlier this year, CNN reported. There were 29 percent fewer shootings and 21 percent fewer killings last month, according to crime statistics from the department. The city had 173 shootings last month, compared to 245 in April of 2017, police also said. The number of murders in April dropped from 48 in 2017 to 37 last month.

Stronger community policing efforts, officer hires and technology investments were cited by police as reasons for the drops in crime, according to CNN.

Clarissa Hamlin