Skokie Felon Caught With Loaded Gun in Evanston, Police Say

Story by Jennifer Fisher and Chi-an Chang

Evanston police chased down two felons on foot Tuesday afternoon and arrested them both after officers found they were carrying loaded handguns, according to police.

Blair Aikens, 27, of the 9300 block of Karlov Avenue in Skokie, and Antoine Hill, 28, of the 7400 block of North Ridge Avenue in Chicago, were both charged with two counts of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

Hill was recently released on parole for the murder of an Evanston man at the Keg in 2005, while Aikens was wanted on a Pennsylvania narcotics warrant, according to Evanston Police Cmdr. Jason Parrott. Aikens was also convicted of delivery of a controlled substance, a felony, in 2007.

Police spotted the two men while on patrol in the 1800 block of Brown Avenue, recognized Aikens, and attempted to conduct an investigatory stop, Parrott said. At that point, the two men started running away.

Police chased them down and found they were carrying loaded, 9mm handguns, according to Parrott.

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"When you've got two guys carrying guns, one of those guys is wanted on a warrant, the other guy's on parole for murder--our estimation is that those individuals are going to use those firearms," he said. "They had something planned, we don’t know what."

According to Parrott, Aikens had an extended magazine, a device that holds extra ammunition.

"It is an indicator that you’re probably not just carrying that [gun] for self protection," he said.

Hill was also charged with resisting a peace officer, a felony, and was issued a parole violation warrant, according to Parrott.
 
Hill was released on parole last September after serving six years of an 18-year prison sentence on charges of second-degree murder, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections. According to court documents, Hill shot and killed 22-year-old Evanston resident Robert Gresham after the two got into an argument at the Keg in fall 2005. Hill was 19 and an Evanston resident at the time.
 
Police have said that several recent shootings in Evanston may be part of an extended feud between two Evanston groups that traces back to the murder of Gresham in 2005. According to Evanston Police Cmdr. Jason Parrott, the victims of four more shootings between 2010 and 2012 have family ties with either Gresham or Hill. Those victims include Justin Murray and Javar Bamberg, two Evanston men who were shot and killed last winter.