Loaded Gun in Chicago: Raphael Hammond Faces 15 Years Behind Bars

CHICAGO – In a shocking move, 37-year-old Raphael Hammond faces 15 years in federal prison after being indicted for illegally possessing a loaded handgun in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood.

According to a federal grand jury, Hammond fired the .380-caliber handgun multiple times on May 5, 2024, while standing on a sidewalk in the 1000 block of West Addison Street. The shooting occurred just after 1:00 a.m., and Hammond was on court-supervised release from a prior federal firearm conviction at the time.

The indictment, which was returned on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago, charges Hammond with illegal possession of a firearm. This charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. Hammond is set to be arraigned on June 18, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert.

The investigation into Hammond’s firearm offense was led by the ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago, an interagency collaboration that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement officials to combat gun violence in the city.

Holding firearm offenders accountable is a key component of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative that aims to reduce violent crime in communities across the country. In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to tackle a range of violent crime issues, including firearm offenses.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt, and Hammond is presumed innocent until proven otherwise. He is entitled to a fair trial, at which the government will have the burden of proving his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.