Jan. 31--A dispute over a woman led to the killing of a West Side man in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency hotel at McCormick Place last weekend, prosecutors said Saturday.
Armonte Hooper, 23, is charged with shooting Courtney Taylor during a birthday party Jan. 23 in the lobby of the hotel, 2233 S. King Drive. In Cook County bond court Saturday, Judge Laura Marie Sullivan ordered Hooper held with no bail.
Prosecutors said Taylor, 25, and his friends had stayed at the birthday party for a short time before deciding to leave. Upon leaving, a male partygoer who Taylor didn't know approached Taylor and his friends and accused Taylor of hitting on his girlfriend.
The man, whom Taylor did not know, was with Hooper -- who along with his friends became verbally aggressive toward Taylor and his friends until a fight broke between both groups, prosecutors said.
Hooper and his friends then left the hotel. When they returned, Hooper pulled a gun out of his waistband and pointed it at one of Taylor's friends. Taylor's friend ran and someone hit him over the head with a glass table top, prosecutors said.
When Taylor ran to help his friend, Hooper shot Taylor, who fell to the ground. Hooper continued to fire at Taylor, shooting him five times, prosecutors said.
Taylor, of the 1600 block of South Paulina Street, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hooper and his friends then fled. A hotel surveillance video captured Hooper shooting at another, unidentified person outside the hotel, prosecutors said.
Witnesses identified Hooper from a photo array and the surveillance video, prosecutors said. Hooper was arrested Wednesday at 9:45 p.m. at his apartment in the 400 block of West Marquette Road.
Meltagouri@tribpub.com
