A YOUNG man has been accused of randomly murdering six strangers and trying to kill little children when he was just 17 years old.
Chicago authorities are attributing a growing number of victims to alleged serial killer Antonio Reyes, 21, who reportedly opened fire on civilians going about their daily routines.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke stated, “None of these individuals had any prior acquaintance with Antonio Reyes, and there is no apparent motive for Antonio Reyes to have singled them out.”
One fatal incident involved a victim who was shot while stopping at a gas station to purchase a drink; another victim was targeted while sitting in a parked car with a friend on a Sunday afternoon. A third victim was unexpectedly shot while taking his family to obtain a new puppy on a regular afternoon.
Reyes has been in police custody since December 2020, when he was accused of killing Luis Davalos Garcia. After he was arrested, he tried to murder his cellmate with a shiv.
On Wednesday, prosecutors filed a slew of other charges against Reyes, and Burke spoke with the media on Thursday alongside cops to explain what they had found.
During their investigation, detectives were able to link all of the killings to a .40 caliber handgun, including Garcia’s, cops said.
They also learned that Reyes was active on social media and said several now-disturbing posts linked him to some of the deaths.
One of the most horrific discoveries was that all of the murders appeared to be completely random.
Now, investigators have issued an urgent plea for any more information about the alleged serial killer as they look for more victims.
“These were six lives that were brutally taken,” said Chicago Police Superintendant Larry Snelling.
“It’s difficult to comprehend how anyone could easily take someone’s life and especially so many in one year […] Who knows how many he may have been responsible for?”
At the conference, Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Garien Gatewood praised the police department for getting Reyes behind bars and getting families answers after years had passed.
“I cannot commend the work of the Chicago Police Department enough,” she said.
“Our entire administration and our entire city is grateful for the work they did to remove a serial killer from the streets.”
‘MIXED EMOTIONS’
The mother of Claudio Cossio, a 21-year-old who was allegedly murdered by Reyes, shared her shock at hearing the news.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I wake up and I don’t think about my son,” she said, according to CBS News.
“It’s a lot of mixed emotions. I really didn’t think I would see this day, because it was just so […] it’s been so long.”
Marlen Rangel, whose 16-year-old son Damian Duran was allegedly killed at the hands of Reyes, was also relieved by the charges.
“These young men did not deserve this,” she said.
Rangel claimed that the last time she ever saw her son was when he got into Reyes’ car so the two could hang out.
That night, when Damian never came home, Rangel tracked down the sick alleged killer on Snapchat and asked him where they were.
“I told him, ‘Where’s my son? You lured my son to a location, and now you don’t know where my son is?'” Rangel said.
When Reyes finally responded, the heartbroken mother was floored by his sick remark.
“He said, ‘That’s why your son is rotting in hell.’ That’s exactly what he told me in the Snapchat,” she said.
Who are Antonio Reyes’ alleged victims?
ANTONIO Reyes allegedly murdered six people in 2020.
Here is a look at the men he’s accused of killing.
- Reyes allegedly shot 31-year-old Francisco Mangana on March 2, 2020, on West 59th Street.
- Cossio was murdered on April 5 on South Sacramento Avenue, and the man he was with was also shot that day.
- On May 1, Duran was killed at the hands of the sick serial killer, detectives believe.
- On June 24, Garcia was murdered on South Rockwell Avenue.
- Jose Martinez, 31, was murdered on November 8, and Reyes allegedly tried to also kill his three children, who were between 3 and 9 at the time.
- On November 9, Justin Gonzalez, 20, was killed on West 59th Street.
HORROR KILLINGS
Reyes allegedly shot 31-year-old Francisco Mangana on March 2, 2020, on West 59th Street.
Cossio was murdered on April 5 on South Sacramento Avenue, and the man he was with was also shot that day.
On May 1, Duran was killed at the hands of the sick serial killer, detectives believe.
On June 24, Garcia was murdered on South Rockwell Avenue.
Jose Martinez, 31, was murdered on November 8, and Reyes allegedly tried to also kill his three children, who were between 3 and 9 at the time.
On November 9, Justin Gonzalez, 20, was killed on West 59th Street.
Reyes is being held without bail.
