Walgreens shooting suspect found dead of self-inflicted gunshot wound
By JAMES SCALZITTI AND LISA DONOVAN Staff Reporters January 20, 2012 11:16PM
A 23-year-old security guard at Walgreens in River North was shot and killed Friday night, January 20, 2012 inside the store, sources said. The man was shot at 9:57 p.m. in the store at 315 W. Chicago, police said. | Submitted photo
Updated: January 22, 2012 12:38PM
A man wanted for questioning in the fatal shooting of a security guard at a River North Walgreens killed himself in Evanston hours after the murder, police in the north suburb said.
And police are investigating whether the alleged gunman was also responsible for fatally gunning down a Skokie teenager, Anton Sanders, 15, late Friday night.
The body of Dante Simmons, 33, was found in an alley in the 100 block of Clyde Avenue, according to Evanston police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.
Simmons was a resident of nearby Rogers Park, Evanston police said. A 9 mm handgun was recovered by police at the scene.
Simmons appeared to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, police and the medical examiner’s office said. His body was found covered in snow.
Simmons was wanted by the Chicago Police for allegedly murdering Troy Cameron, 22, as he worked at the Walgreens, 315 W. Chicago, just before 10 p.m. Friday.
Cameron was a security guard at the store who reportedly had a 3-year-old son. Employees said Simmons also had worked there. NBC-owned, WMAQ-Channel 5 news reported that Simmons had been fired from the Walgreens and had phoned in threats to the store.
On Saturday, a large stuffed bear and a bouquet of flowers had been placed near the entrance after the store reopened in the afternoon, near where a pool of blood had been.
“We are deeply saddened by this incident, and our thoughts and prayers are with our employee’s family,” Walgreens spokesman Robert Elfinger said.
Meanwhile, Belmont Area detectives were looking into a possible connection between the Walgreens murder to the fatal shooting of the Skokie teen that occurred later Friday night, at 10:50 p.m., in the 1800 block of West Juneway Terrace, near the Evanston border, just south of Calvary Cemetery. That murder happened two blocks away from Simmons’ apartment.
In the later incident, police said Sanders suffered several gunshot wounds. A 9 mm handgun was also used in that shooting.
Evanston police said they believe the two incidents were related, but Chicago police said it was still under investigation.
Contributing: Michael Lansu
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