Two Brothers Charged in Slaying of Dwyane Wade’s Cousin

Two brothers were charged in connection to the Friday killing Chicago Bulls guard Dwayne Wade’s cousin, 32-year-old Nykea Aldridge.

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During a news conference this past weekend, Chicago police chief superintendent Eddie Johnson called for an end to the violence, saying this pattern keeps repeating itself in regards to the death of Dwyane Wade’s cousin, Nykea Aldridge.

“When will enough be enough?” Johnson said. “How often do we have to stand at a podium like this, demanding from our judicial and policy partners some type of resolution?”

Derren Sorrells, 22, and Darwin Sorrells Jr., 26, were charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder with the homicide that took place 3:30 p.m. Friday in the 6300 block of Calumet Drive.

Aldridge, 32, was pushing a baby stroller at the time when she was shot in the head and an arm. She was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital. Aldridge’s baby wasn’t harmed.

Authorities say a third man who drove two women from a suburb to Chicago’s Parkway Gardens neighborhood was being targeted by the two brothers. Police think the driver made eye contact with one of the Sorrellses when they opened fire only to strike Aldridge.

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No surveillance cameras in the area captured the shooting, but one tape at nearby school shows the Sorrellses in the vicinity of the crime scene. No weapons were recovered, police said.

The Sorrellses both possess lengthy criminal backgrounds and were on parole at the time of the killing.

“This tragedy isn’t just noteworthy because Ms. Aldridge has a famous family member,” Johnson said. “Rather, it shows that the cycle of arrests, convictions and parole isn’t changing the behavior of those who repeatedly commit crimes.”

Wade’s only public comments on the matter came through his Twitter account, in which he posted:

Twitter erupted in the hours following the tragedy, with Dwyane Wade’s name becoming a trending topic.

Among those who took to Twitter to express themselves was Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The tweet initial had the wrong spelling of Wade’s name, as it read, “Dwayne Wade”.

The post ignited a number of different reactions from people on social media.

Trump’s campaign has refuted all claims that Donald was being insensitive. The way they explain it, Trump only expressed the frustration that many people hold.

Since that time, Trump has again tweeted his condolences to the mourning family. The only thing is now the post appears to be less polarizing.

To date, it’s unclear to what extent, if any, Trump may have intended to politicize the tragedy.

Johnson said the community’s cooperation helped bring the high-profile case to a close and said that explains why charges were brought against the Sorrellses, whereas many other crimes throughout the city fail to accomplish that.

“You know why we captured them right away? Because the community helped us with it,” Johnson said. “Police officers very rarely witness crime, especially murder or aggravated battery with a firearm. … We take every death in Chicago seriously, but we need the community’s help to bring these cases to a successful resolution.”