A 31-year-old man is facing two murder charges after Chicago police say he fatally shot a 38-year-old man on North Kedzie Avenue last month. Malik Nelson was arrested Friday in the 200 block of North Michigan Avenue, more than a month after the killing, and was set to appear at a detention hearing Sunday.
Police identified Nelson as the person who fatally shot the victim on Sept. 10 in the 800 block of North Kedzie Avenue, within the boundaries of the city's 11th District, according to FOX 32 Chicago, which cited a Chicago police news release. Nelson's arrest came weeks later, on Oct. 16, in the 200 block of North Michigan Avenue, a stretch of the Magnificent Mile far from the scene of the shooting. His address was listed in the 3100 block of West Franklin Boulevard, police said.
Nelson faces two murder charges stemming from the case. One count was listed as first-degree murder, while the other was listed as murder tied to a strong probability of death or injury, per the police release cited by the outlet's report. The news release did not include the victim's name or offer any details about what led up to the shooting, and police said no additional information was available.
Detention Hearing Set for Sunday
A detention hearing for Nelson was scheduled for Sunday at 2600 South California, the report noted. What unfolds at that hearing, including any ruling on Nelson's custody status, was not addressed in the information police released.
The circumstances that led to the confrontation on North Kedzie Avenue remain unclear, and the account relayed by police leaves open questions about what happened between Nelson and the victim before the shooting. The same account also does not identify the man who was killed.
Case Lands Amid a Lower Citywide Homicide Count
The killing adds to a 2026 homicide total that has been trending below last year's pace. Citywide, Chicago had recorded 335 homicides through Oct. 10, according to data tracked by the Chicago Tribune, which is eight fewer than the number of people killed through the same point in 2025.
That decline tracks with broader trends reported earlier in the month. Through the end of September, the city had logged 321 homicides, a 3% drop from the same period in 2025 and a 29% decline from 2024, according to WTTW. September alone saw 31 homicides, 14 fewer than the same month a year earlier, the station reported.
Shootings have followed a similar downward trajectory. Chicago recorded 136 shootings and 165 shooting victims in September, both down from the same month in 2025, and shootings were down 4% citywide for the year through September, with shooting victims down 2%, per the same WTTW report. The station also noted declines in carjackings, down 26% this year, along with drops in robberies and burglaries, and a sharp 32% decline in violent crime on CTA trains and buses.
