A late-night traffic crash on a Humboldt Park stretch of West Chicago Avenue that ended in gunfire is now the focus of a murder case, after police arrested a Riverdale man nearly nine months later.
Chicago police say 37-year-old Keon Slater was taken into custody on May 24, 2026, and charged with one count of first-degree murder in connection with an Aug. 24, 2025, shooting that left 22-year-old Martin Guerrero dead. Guerrero was taken to Cook County Health's John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital and died there hours after the attack.
According to Chicago police, the shooting happened around 1:46 a.m. on Aug. 24, 2025, in the 3800 block of West Chicago Avenue after Guerrero's vehicle was involved in a crash and another car pulled up alongside. An occupant of that second car allegedly stepped out and opened fire, hitting Guerrero several times in the chest, FOX 32 Chicago reported. Firefighters treated Guerrero at the scene before taking him to Stroger. Police said Slater, identified as a Riverdale resident, was arrested in a south suburban jurisdiction on May 24 and charged with one felony count of first-degree murder.
Cook County Crime Stoppers later offered up to $10,000 for tips as detectives worked to track down witnesses, according to CBS Chicago. Earlier reporting by the Chicago Sun-Times said Guerrero was from Morris, Illinois, and was pronounced dead at Stroger after being shot multiple times in the chest.
Charges and legal context
Slater is expected to appear in court for a detention hearing on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, Chicago police told reporters, FOX 32 Chicago reported.
Under Illinois law, first-degree murder is defined in 720 ILCS 5/9-1 and is treated as the state's most serious homicide charge. Sentencing rules in the Unified Code of Corrections (730 ILCS 5) typically set a base prison range of 20 to 60 years, with the possibility of extended or natural-life terms in certain aggravated circumstances. For the statutory language and sentencing framework, see 720 ILCS 5/9-1 and 730 ILCS 5/5-8-1.
Police have not publicly discussed a possible motive in the shooting. Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact Chicago police or submit an anonymous tip to Cook County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-535-STOP, CBS Chicago reported. The case remains under investigation ahead of the May 27 detention hearing, and prosecutors will determine the next steps as they review the evidence.
