January 12th 2011, a gang war was building up to the point of no return. On that tragic day, a young man by the name of Shondale Gregory known by his peers as Tooka was murdered
The Final Hours of Odee Perry
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https://youtu.be/T0wYDeFQvuo (2:13-2:44)
https://youtu.be/yaAsfcS482k (6:11-6:14)
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https://youtu.be/NwoaIY0V38E (3:02-3:28) https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/police-boy-16-killed-in-possible-gang-related-shooting/ (0:00-0:17)
Tooka was at the bus stop in 63rd and St. Lawrence in the Woodlawn neighborhood in South Side Chicago with two other witnesses awaiting a bus
A dark-colored vehicle pulled up. A passenger who was wearing a half mask jumped out and shot Shondale Gregory aka Tooka several times about the body.
According to law enforcement, Tooka was a known member of the Gangster Disciples and his assassination was retaliation for the murder of a Black Disciple affiliate.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/police-boy-16-killed-in-possible-gang-related-shooting/
That one death, would become infamous as a pivotal moment in the gang violence in Chicago and even more, for the life of a Chicago native by the name of Odee Perry.
August 10th 2011, it was a regular day in the neighborhood as it pertains to the youths accustomed to the dangers of the region in which gang territory has been the cause of many altercations. People were on their normal commute along King’s Dr where the Parkway Gardens was situation. Some walking, driving, others riding bikes up and down the street past Sammys Grill and Restaurant,
no one could predict the tragedy which was about to transpire https://youtu.be/TFqS96vVAAo (6:10-6:33) Odee Perry was one around the area on that date. It was nighttime, Odee Perry was out and about in the neighborhood. He was no stranger to the area as many knew him to be someone with great respect and notoriety in the gang culture https://youtu.be/QCtThTJST6c (0:47-0:57) Odee was often described by his peers as quite and to himself, but behind that calm demeanor was a silent killer who was often actively involved in criminal activities that injured and stole the lives of his rivals https://youtu.be/yaAsfcS482k (6:11-6:13) https://youtu.be/TFqS96vVAAo (0:28-0:34) His many mugshots tell of the consequences that come with walking this dangerous path
However, this particular lifestyle is the reason why he was in harms way. Sooner or later it’s the end result of many youths lead astray by the gang culture. Mix this with his affiliation to the Black Disciples – an opposing gang to the Gangster Disciples, he became a prime target of revenge for the assassination of Tooka. The night lingered on, 10pm, 10:30pm, 11:00pm, 11:30pm. Odee Perry decided to go to the store and got on his bike and did just that. Him along with his friend entered the Swisher Sweets store. 11:34pm, Odee Perry exists the store, gets on his bicycle, and begins riding northbound on MLK Dr.
Moments later at 11:35pm, shots were heard ringing out throughout the area. His friend would look out of the store in the northbound direction which Odee Perry rode off towards. That’s when he saw Odee fall from his bike unto the ground before getting up and attempting to escape, only to fall back down after around 10 more shots were let off
A key witness at the scene further describes how Odee Perry was attacked and what happened thereafter. According to his account, he saw Odee Perry riding northbound as well on MLK Dr on his bicycle, but also noticed an African American male standing near the bus stop along with an equally colored female and her child. As Odee Perry approached, the black male stepped out and shot him, causing Odee to fall from his bicycle. At this point must be where Odee Perry would have tried to recollect himself and flee, but as stated by the eye witness, the offender continued his pursuit by approaching Odee, shooting him again before fleeing eastbound on 64th St.
According to other gang affiliated members at the time like reformed gangster J Hood, one of Odee Perry’s friends named T Roy
was present at the time trying to keep him awake and alive after being shot. He alleges T Roy was the one who heard Odee Perry’s last words “damn, they got me bro” https://youtu.be/TFqS96vVAAo (6:38-6:55)
Returning to the eye witness statements, he also vaguely recalled another offender partaking in the attack, but was unable to recall where they came from or where they would have escaped to.
Officers would respond to dispatchers call of a person shot. Upon arrival the responding officers would discover Odee Perry laying in the street injured by what they believed was one gun shot wound about the right side of the neck. Bleeding out on the floor, medical personnel on site at the moment sprung into action to save his life, rushing him to Stroger Hospital
The time was counting down on the clock, Odee Perry was literally fighting for his life. Once at the hospital, the attending physician by the name of Dr. Wiley, along with his medical staff made efforts to treat Odee Perry, who was listed in critical condition. That’s when matters took a turn for the worst. What was thought to be only one gunshot wound, turned out to be two after Dr. Wiley and the medical staff discovered a second gunshot wound about Odee Perry’s left shoulder. They expended every possible avenue to try and preserve his life, but their attempts proved futile. Odee Perry’s gunshot wounds became fatal and he was pronounced deceased at 12:18an August 11th 2011
According to the autopsy, Odee Perry’s official cause of death was due to multiple gunshot wounds. One bullet entered the front mid left side of the neck, exiting near the upper left arm, and a second gunshot wound entered and exited the mid left buttock.
News of Odee Perry’s passing would shake the community. It was one of the first major deaths due to the gang violence many young affiliates experienced that time https://youtu.be/QCtThTJST6c (1:14-1:38) It sent shockwaves throughout, leaving scars that some say, to this day they still struggle with overcoming https://youtu.be/T0wYDeFQvuo (2:21-3:28) https://youtu.be/T0wYDeFQvuo (4:06-4:33)
Investigators were now tasked with trying to piece together the brazen murder, but what’s more, they had to operate with a sense of urgency in the air, as they were fearful of the impending retaliation waiting to happen.
Rumors began circulating that Odee Perry’s passing was from a rival gang retaliating for the death of Shonale Gregory aka Tooka. It’s alleged that in order to make a statement, they assassinated Odee Perry on Tooka’s birthday.
Odee Perry’s rivals wasted no time setting the trend of disrespecting his death. Highly respected and now murdered gang affiliate FBG Duck
often disrespected Odee Perry’s death along with other lives they claimed https://youtu.be/SKaJT8yWbGs (0:40-0:46) https://youtu.be/SR1vGzEiv90 (1:04-1:10)
Continuing the taunts, rivals engaged in a remorseless yet popular trend among the gang culture. It was as a badge of honor to be the reason that the persons they were at war with had to change the name of their location. Everyone wanted to take credit for Odee Perry’s murder as if it was a trophy to be warn, but the reality is, to them, and the lifestyle they lived…it was.
The main suspect responsible wasn’t an adult, nor even a male, but a woman who is rumored to have earned the name, The Female Assassin, Gakirah Baynes
These speculations became even more solidified when she emerged in pictures posing with Odee Perry’s famed firearm
More credibility began swirling around from her affiliates, giving her along with her close friend and partner in crime Butta the credit for creating the name O Block,
This hinted at the idea that they were involved in Odee Perry’s murder. One such gang affiliate went by the name FBG Wooski
Still, it was all speculation, but that would change with the release of official police documents on the murder of Odee Perry. Within it, investigators firstly interviewed Chicago Transit Authority workers (CTA). One CTA Janitor recall seeing two male blacks run from the area of the shooting and enter a silver four door vehicle, possible a Chevy Malibu or Impala
A CTA elevator repairman who was seated in his truck at the time of the shooting echoed similar accounts as given by the Janitor
Neither of the witnesses could pick the suspect out of a photo line up, but the smoking gun in the case would come in the form of a confidential informant. On August 4th 2016, detectives would interview a third party witness to Odee Perry’s homicide who stated that he was friends with the killers, who he named as Gakirah Barnes and a new suspect Rodney Stewart aka Bosstrell
The CI stated they were all in the same gang, the Jaro City fraction of the Gangster Disciples. According to case documents, the CI recalled personal conversations he had with both Stewart and Barnes about the homicide and they both admitted being the ones who shot and killed Odee Perry
October 15th 2016, detectives re-interviewed a past witness at the scene and he also positively ID’s both Stewart and Gakirah as the shooters, stating they shot Odee Perry then fled in a silver vehicle
Given the evidence obtained, the case was closed, labeling Boss Trell and KI as the main suspects.
Unfortunately, they both had already lost their lives to gun violence by rivals, so they couldn’t be apprehended and tried for the murder.
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In honor of Odee Perry’s life, Parkway Gardens which was known by the name WIIC City by gang members, became then known as the infamous O Block https://youtu.be/TFqS96vVAAo (3:12-3:29) https://youtu.be/moANeGDU7lQ (0:00-0:45) https://youtu.be/VRWiRJTZyfU (9:55-1:18)
The murders of Tooka and Odee Perry went on to spark even more outrage in the city between two gang fractions in particular. STL/EBT renamed Tookaville, and WIIC City now renamed O Block
Rest in peace Odee Perry https://youtu.be/tFfrFxECwCY (0:00-0:40)
