FolaSade Lawanson had a vision when she opened her boutique, Fatal Class, a year and a half ago in the 600 block of East 79th Street in Greater Grand Crossing.
She wanted to bring a funky, eclectic street style to the block, which spans from St. Lawrence to Langley avenues and features mostly salon services and vacancies.
She set up Fatal Class with bright colors and bold furniture and displayed vivid dresses with feathers and funky zippers. She threw a party to celebrate the store opening in October 2011.
Her friends came-but then they were reluctant to return.
"It's a negative connotation when you talk about 79th [Street], period," said Lawanson, 31, of East Pilsen. "When you say specifically this block, people know that it was just on the news and they don't want to come out over here."
Violence long has been the trend on the 600 block, partly because of conflicts in Gangster Disciple and Black Disciple factions. Chicago police have targeted it and other blocks nearby with new foot patrols this year.
There have been five homicides in the 600 block of East 79th Street since November 2009. That's tied with a Near West Side block for the most homicides of any block in the city in the past four years, according to RedEye's tracking of police data. The Near West Side block is the 1300 block of West Hastings Street.
The 600 block of East 79th Street is in the Greater Grand Crossing community area and the Chatham neighborhood. Greater Grand Crossing, long a magnet for violent crime, has logged seven homicides this year, according to RedEye data through Tuesday afternoon.
Workers and business owners along the mostly commercial block blame the violence on teens hanging out on street corners, where their personal problems escalate into gun violence. Some of the shootings are related to gangs and retaliation for other incidents.
"As these [gang] cliques start to form, you have some conflicts there. Hence you have violence," said Fred Waller, commander of the Sixth District, which serves the Chatham area. "Recently, we've had some personal conflicts. ... A lot more where people say things on social media, be it things that may be driven by someone liking the same girl, someone rivaling someone because of their rapping skills."
The last fatal shootings on the block were in August, a double homicide at about 1 p.m. The 20-year-old victim, who died of a gunshot wound to the chest, was in the Black Gangsters. The 17-year-old killed was in the Gangster Disciples. A 17-year-old girl also was wounded in that incident, police information shows.
The shooting was in the western section of the block by St. Lawrence Avenue, home to a shopping center with a few restaurants and a beauty supply store. Kevin Johnson, 33, has worked there for the past few years.
Johnson, who grew up in the area, is eager to leave and move to Atlanta, where his godmother lives. He said the gangs leave him alone because they know who he is, but he doesn't feel safe.
"The bullet doesn't care if you've known it for years or not," said Johnson, of Chatham. "The way [the gang members] live out here, it's no morals. No ethics. They act first and think later."
The community area saw 23 homicides in 2012, 22 in 2011, 15 in 2010 (including two on the block) and 17 in 2009 (including one on the block).
The 2009 shooting death was a man who was chased by another man after getting out of his car. Officers said they found 10 shell casings at the scene.
Worlee Glover, who has lived in Chatham for 16 years, said crime in his area is a major concern. Still, he said, he enjoys his neighborhood because it has easy transportation access to downtown and a variety of housing options.
"Definitely the good things outweigh the bad," said Glover, who runs a Chatham blog on ChicagoNow, which, like RedEye, is owned by Tribune Company. "I think we're going through a rough spot right now, but we can turn things around."
The 600 block is part of a new initiative begun earlier this year that puts rookie cops on foot patrols along 79th Street in Chatham and Greater Grand Crossing. Their goal: to target problems on some of Chicago's most dangerous blocks.
That stretch of 79th Street has had its share of difficulties because it's a major thoroughfare that attracts different groups who enjoy hanging out on the street. Conflicts then sometimes arise, Waller said.
Brian Sleet, chief of staff for Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th), said the foot patrols have made a difference in the area because the time the officers have spent on the block has helped stem potential problems.
"It's not like it's exactly that block that is the issue. It's much more a question of those few blocks in that surrounding area," Sleet said. "You have a lot of young people and some of the traditional issues of lack of opportunity. There are some gang issues coming over there, but a lot of it is extended personal conflicts. A fair number of shootings in the area is the ongoing retaliation cycle."
Sleet said the alderman's office is trying to work with landlords to set up cameras and extra security to encourage people not to loiter. Sleet said his office also is trying to devise a plan for small businesses along 79th Street to weed out those that attract trouble.
"There are some high-quality businesses over there," Sleet said. "We want to separate the good from the bad and work with those who want to see positive change on 79th Street. We understand that it's not a short-term solution to the challenge."
Charlotte Rodgers said she she's seen the added foot patrols but doesn't believe they have decreased the violence. The police are "still missing the mark," she said.
Rodgers has been the manager at Larry's Barber College, just east of the block, for the past four years. During that time, she said she has seen three to four shootings "in broad daylight" on the block.
"You hear it first and then you look out. They shoot a lot over here," said Rodgers, 47. "It's kind of like a way of life over here."
When RedEye interviewed her at the barbershop last month, Rodgers pointed at a bullet hole in her front window that appeared overnight a few days earlier. Rodgers said she "patched it up and moved on."
"Good thing we weren't here," said Rodgers, who lives in Auburn Gresham. "What else do you do?"
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