Man known as ‘ Murdah’ charged with killing friend over gun
A parolee nicknamed “Murdah” has been charged with killing his friend and shooting the victim’s girlfriend during a disagreement over a gun in Chatham last month.
About a week before the Oct. 17 shooting, Aaron Campbell and his cousin went to a party, where they met up with the alleged gunman Deangelo McClain.
Campbell, 30, and McClain were both armed and showing off their guns at the party and at some point, McClain ended up with Campbell’s gun, Cook County prosecutors said.
McClain and Campbell’s cousin then got into an argument, and Campbell ended up leaving the party without his gun, prosecutors said.
Campbell told his girlfriend, 26, he would get the gun back the next day. But several days later and after several text exchanges with McClain, he still hadn’t retrieved the weapon, prosecutors said.
Campbell eventually drove to the 8200 block of South Ingleside Avenue to get his gun back from McClain, but McClain didn’t answer Campbell’s initial call, prosecutors said. Campbell then called McClain using his girlfriend’s phone and McClain allegedly answered and said he would come outside.
McClain, joined by a still- unidentified person, came up to Campbell’s driver’s side window, leaned in and told Campbell “he was tweaking” before firing into the car, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.
Campbell was shot several times, and his girlfriend was struck once. Campbell was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died, and his girlfriend underwent surgery to remove a bullet from her abdomen, police and prosecutors said.
The woman told investigators that the other person with McClain had also fired a weapon, which was supported by two different caliber shell casings recovered at the scene, prosecutors said.
Campbell’s girlfriend identified McClain by his nickname “Murdah,” and she later picked him out in a photo array, prosecutors said.
Because McClain, 28, was injured in a shooting last week, he remained hospitalized for his injuries and was not present at his bond hearing Wednesday.
McClain was on parole at the time of the Oct. 17 shooting, prosecutors said. State records show he was released in July last year after serving time for home invasion.
Judge Charles Beach ordered McClain held on $ 5 million bail.