Thanksgiving night on Chicago's Southwest Side ended in tragedy, and now a 31-year-old Stickney man is facing a first-degree murder charge in connection with the fatal shooting, Chicago police say. Authorities identified the suspect as Richard Negron, who was arrested this week in Stickney and remains in custody. The 27-year-old victim was taken to Stroger Hospital and later died from his injuries after police say they recovered a weapon at the scene in the 5100 block of South Luna Avenue.
According to FOX 32 Chicago, Negron was arrested Friday in the 4700 block of C. Central Ave. in Stickney and was formally charged with first-degree murder. Detectives recovered a weapon at the Luna Avenue scene, and Negron’s next court appearance was set for Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, the station reported.
The Thanksgiving night shooting
The shooting unfolded around 11:55 p.m. on Nov. 27, 2025, in the 5100 block of South Luna Avenue, in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood. The victim was identified as 27-year-old Paul Kalec, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The paper reported Kalec was found unresponsive, then taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, detectives said they were speaking with a person of interest.
Witnesses and evidence
A witness told officers that an unknown man approached Kalec on foot, pulled out a gun, and opened fire before fleeing, according to local reporting. Officers later recovered a weapon at the scene, an early piece of evidence in what quickly became a homicide investigation. That account is detailed in reporting by CWB Chicago, and Hoodline's earlier coverage of the incident is archived in Man Fatally Shot on Thanksgiving Night.
What's next
Negron faces a first-degree murder charge in Cook County, and it is a serious one. Under Illinois law, that offense generally carries a prison term of 20 to 60 years, with longer or life terms possible in aggravated cases, according to FindLaw. As FOX 32 Chicago notes, his next court appearance was scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. Prosecutors will decide whether to seek extended penalties as the case moves through the Cook County court system, a process that is likely to stretch far longer than that chaotic holiday night.
