CPD Brass on Bullshit … Chicago’s West Side Shootings Expose a Cycle of Sensational Arrests Over Systemic Solutions

May 10, 2025 | John Kugler |
May 10, 2025 | John Kugler |

CHICAGO — When gunfire erupted on May 7, 2025, at 742 North Spaulding Avenue in Chicago’s Humboldt Park, leaving a 25-year-old and a 26-year-old male wounded, it marked another grim chapter in the city’s struggle with gang and drug violence. The Chicago Police Department quickly arrested three suspects—Dalvin Mullen, 27, Byjon Grant, 18, and Byron Atkins, 19—heralding the busts as a win for public safety.

Yet, for many residents, the arrests of these known drug dealers and gang members with long criminal histories since becoming adults feel like a familiar script: high-profile sweeps that grab headlines but do little to dismantle the drug markets and gang warfare fueling the bloodshed, echoing the failures of the War on Drugs.

The shooting unfolded in a notorious drug corridor near Spaulding and Chicago Avenue, an area plagued by trap houses and open-air drug sales, according to residents and social media posts. The suspects, all from a different West Side neighborhood—near the 100 block of North Lotus Avenue and the 800 block of North Kolin Avenue, about two to three miles away—face charges including aggravated battery with a firearm, drug possession with intent to distribute, and vehicle-related offenses.

Their presence far from their home turf, combined with their well-documented histories as drug dealers and gang members, suggests a clash over drug territory, a hallmark of Chicago’s fractured gang landscape.

Dalvin Mullen, 27, has been a known drug dealer and gang member since turning 18, with a rap sheet spanning a decade. Police records show that since 2015, Mullen has faced multiple arrests for manufacturing and delivering cocaine, heroin, and other narcotics, often in Humboldt Park near North Central Park Avenue and North Ridgeway Avenue. His record includes convictions for possessing firearms as a felon, resisting arrest, operating stolen vehicles, and a 2024 charge for being an armed habitual criminal. Just a month before the Spaulding shooting, he was arrested for domestic battery, underscoring a pattern of violent behavior.

Byron Atkins, 19, is similarly entrenched, with a history of drug dealing and gang involvement since becoming an adult. His arrests include manufacturing and delivering heroin in 2023 and multiple charges for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in 2023 and 2024, several near Ridgeway Avenue.

These records confirm their deep ties to the West Side’s drug trade and gang networks.

Byjon Grant, 18, while younger, faces similar charges, suggesting early involvement in the same criminal ecosystem.

This is a drug war, plain and simple. Mullen and Atkins are known dealers and gang members. Arresting them doesn’t stop the next crew from stepping in. It’s like the War on Drugs—locking up a few, making a show, but the problem’s still there.

A prior incident on October 17, 2024, was a daytime shootout involving what witnesses described as machine gun fire at a nearby West Side strip mall, underscoring the area’s volatility.

Chicago’s West Side, spanning neighborhoods like Humboldt Park, Austin, and East Garfield Park, remains a battleground for an estimated 150,000 gang-affiliated individuals across over 100 active gangs. From splintered cliques to remnants of larger factions like the Gangster Disciples, these groups vie for control of lucrative drug markets, often with deadly consequences. The Spaulding shooting, in the 11th Police District under Commander Davina F. Ward, fits this pattern of hyper-localized violence, where a single block’s drug trade can spark retribution across neighborhood lines.

Police have not labeled the shooting as gang-related, offering no public motive and fueling accusations of a lack of transparency. The arrests, made in East Garfield Park’s 3500 block of West Jackson Boulevard and 500 block of South Millard Avenue—another gang-heavy area—suggest a broader operation targeting known offenders like Mullen and Atkins. But without clear communication about the underlying causes, residents are left questioning whether these arrests address the root issues or merely serve as a public relations win for a department under pressure.

The charges against Mullen, Grant, and Atkins reveal a web of criminal activity tied to the drug trade and gang violence. Mullen faces felony counts for aggravated battery, possession of a firearm as a repeat felon, and manufacturing or possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute, consistent with his long history of cocaine and heroin dealing. Grant and Atkins, both under 21, were charged with aggravated battery and unlawful weapon possession, with Atkins’ prior heroin and weapons charges reinforcing his role as a gang-affiliated dealer.

The inclusion of stolen vehicle charges further points to a crew engaged in multifaceted crime, yet the police’s silence on their gang affiliations leaves the public in the dark.

This opacity recalls the War on Drugs, where high-profile arrests of street-level dealers like Mullen and Atkins overshadowed systemic failures to address addiction, poverty, and the black market. The 2023 dissolution of the city’s gang database, prompted by a consent decree and criticisms of its inaccuracies, has further muddied the waters, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

Former Superintendent Garry McCarthy has argued that the lack of such data understates gang-related crime, which officially dropped to 0.7% of all crimes in 2023 from 2.9% in 2004. “You can’t solve what you don’t acknowledge,” McCarthy said in a recent interview, echoing community frustrations.

For those living near Spaulding and Chicago Avenue, the violence is a daily reality. Social media posts describe the area as a hub for drug dealing, prostitution, and “wilding,” with trap houses operating unabated. The October 2024 shootout, involving automatic weapons, deepened fears of an escalating turf war.

Mayor Brandon Johnson, who campaigned on community-based violence prevention, has touted investments in youth programs and violence interrupters. Yet, critics argue these efforts fall short in hotspots like Humboldt Park, where drug markets thrive. In a statement, the mayor’s office called the shooting “a call to redouble our efforts” but sidestepped questions about gang activity or the drug trade, further eroding public trust.

The police, for their part, emphasize their focus on removing illegal firearms and prosecuting violent offenders. The arrests of Mullen, Grant, and Atkins, who face a detention hearing on May 10, 2025, at 2600 South California Avenue, demonstrate that commitment. Commander Ward, who has prioritized community engagement in the 11th District, has yet to publicly address the shooting’s implications for her vision of “safety and holistic wellness.”

But without a strategy to disrupt the drug markets driving these conflicts—markets that known gang members like Mullen and Atkins have long profited from—many see these actions as Band-Aids on a gaping wound.

As Chicago braces for another summer of potential violence, the Spaulding shooting lays bare a troubling cycle: sensational arrests of known drug dealers and gang members that prioritize optics over solutions, leaving communities desperate for safety and answers. Until the city confronts the drug and gang warfare head-on—with transparency and systemic reform—the West Side’s streets will remain caught in a war that no one seems willing to name.

This article draws on police reports, social media posts, arrest records, and interviews with community members. The New York Times has sought additional comment from the Chicago Police Department and the mayor’s office.

References

Offenders Charged with Shooting of 25 and 26-Year-Old Males (07 May 25) https://x.com/TAhern_/status/1921098898828894372

Double Shooting 742 N Spaulding (May 7, 2025) https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1921123288551494091

742 North Spalding (shooting location) Relaxed Sunset, Trap Houses, Hookers and Downtown Wilding … the Danger of the Radical Left … Chicago 948pm (07 May 2025) https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1920578847403118835

Wild shoot out at Westside Chicago strip mall … appx 630 (17 Oct 24) https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1847072825825280103

Chicago Police Statement Person Shot … 700 block of N. Spaulding Ave, on May 7, 2025, at approx. 622pm

Preliminary: Two victims, a 25-year-old and a 26-year-old male, were standing in the alley when they heard multiple gunshots coming from an unknown location. The 25-year-old male victim sustained a gunshot wound to his left wrist and finger and was transported to Stroger Hospital in good condition. The 26-year-old male victim sustained a gunshot wound to his chest and right shoulder and was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital in serious condition. There is no one in custody at this time. Area Four Detectives are investigating (11th District)

Posted: May 7, 2025 7:56 PM CDT
https://www.chicagopolice.org/mins/?query-12-page=2

Arrest Information (09 May 25)
https://www.chicagopolice.org/news/cpd-charge-release-offenders-charged-with-shooting-of-26-year-old-male-and-25-year-old-male/

Offenders Charged with Shooting of 26-Year-Old Male and 25-Year-Old Male

Davivin Mullen, 27
Byjon Grant, 18
Byron Atkins, 19

Offender #1: Dalvin Mullen, 27-100 block of N. Lotus Ave., Chicago, Illinois
Charges:
One (1) felony count Agg Battery/Discharge Firearm. One (1) felony count – Poss Firearm Repeat Fel Offen
One (1) felony count-Agg Flee/Concl/Alt Regis Pit
One (1) felony countMfg Pcs Mfg Possess Any Substance W/Intent
One (1) felony count – Receive/Possess/Sell Stolen Vehicle
One (1) felony count Ivc Agg Fleeing/Police/21 Mph
One (1) misdemeanor count – Resisting/Obstruct/Pc Off/Corr Emp/Frftr
One (1) misdemeanor count-Reckless Driving
One (1) misdemeanor count Reckless Conduct
One (1) misdemeanor count – Driving On Revoked License
One (1) misdemeanor count-Leaving The Scene
One (1) traffic countIvc Disregard Traffic Control Light
One (1) traffic count Operate Uninsured Mtr Vehicle

Offender #2:
Byjon Grant, 18-800 block of N. Kolin Ave., Chicago, Illinois
One (1) felony count Agg Battery/Discharge Firearm
One (1) felony count – Agg Upw/Vehicle/<21
One (1) misdemeanor count – Reckless Conduct

Offender #3:
Byron Atkins, 19-800 block of N. Kolin Ave., Chicago, Illinois
Charge:
One (1) felony count-Agg Battery/Discharge Firearm
One (1) felony count-Agg Upw/Vehicle/<21
One (1) misdemeanor count – Reckless Conduct
One (1) count-Issuance of Warrant

Detention Hearing-2600 S. California – May 10, 2025

The above offenders were arrested on May 7, 2025, in the 3500 block of W. Jackson Blvd. and the 500 block of S. Millard Ave., respectively. They were identified as the offenders involved in the shooting of a 26-year-old male and a 25-year-old male who were injured on May 7, 2025 at p.m., in the 700 block of N. Spaulding Ave. (11 District). The offenders were placed into custody and charged accordingly. No additional information is available at this time.

Arrest History Byron Atkins
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/History/18287929

BYRON ATKINS 18
CB NUMBER 30258733
720 ILCS 570.0/407-B-1: MFG/DEL HEROIN/SCH/PUB HS/PK
720 ILCS 570.0/401.5-A-5 PCS – MFG POSSESS SUBSTANCE W/INT
Jul 03, 2023 @ 12:35
ARREST LOCATION 851 N RIDGEWAY AVE
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/18206412

BYRON ATKINS 18
CB NUMBER 30258733
720 ILCS 5.0/24-1.6-A-2: AGG UUW/PERSON/LOADED FIREARM
Apr 02, 2024 @ 16:08
ARREST LOCATION 812 N RIDGEWAY AVE
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/18287929

BYRON ATKINS 19
CB NUMBER 30362800
720 ILCS 5.0/24-1.6-A-2: AGG UUW/PERSON/LOADED FIREARM
8-20-060(A) POSSESS OF A LASER SIGHT ACC
ARREST LOCATION 650 N RIDGEWAY AVE
Jun 16, 2024 @ 22:48

https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/18311119

Arrest History Dalvin Mullen
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/History/17125953

DALVIN MULLEN 18
CB NUMBER 19191596
625 ILCS 5.0/6-101: DRIVING/NO LICENSE/PERMIT/AGE
Sep 21, 2015 @ 18:05
1636 S MILLARD AVE
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/17125953

DALVIN MULLEN 18
CB NUMBER 19208204
10-8-515: SOLICITING UNLAWFUL BUSINESS
Oct 20, 2015 @ 10:15
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/17142661

DALVIN MULLEN 18
CB NUMBER 19214920
720 ILCS 570.0/407-B-1: MFG/DEL COCAINE/SCH/PUB HS/PK
Nov 01, 2015 @ 10:05
ARREST LOCATION 826 N CENTRAL PARK AVE
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/17149429

DALVIN MULLEN 18
CB NUMBER 19221351
625 ILCS 5.0/6-303-A DRIVING ON SUSPENDED LICENSE
9-20-010(C): USING ALLEY AS THRU STREET/VIOL SIGNS
625 ILCS 5.0/3-707 INSURANCE – OPERATE MTR VEHICLE
625 ILCS 5.0/4-104-A-4 POSS TITLE/REGISTRATION NOT
Nov 12, 2015 @ 18:45
ARREST LOCATION 3801 W CHICAGO AVE
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/17155903

DALVIN MULLEN 18
CB NUMBER 19247480
720 ILCS 570.0/401.5-A-5: PCS – MFG – POSSESS ANY SUBSTANCE
Jan 09, 2016 @ 13:05
ARREST LOCATION 930 N CENTRAL PARK AVE
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/17182239

DALVIN MULLEN 18
CB NUMBER 19301165
625 ILCS 5.0/11-1204-B: IVC – DISREGARD STOP SIGN
625 ILCS 5.0/6-303-A DRIVING ON SUSPENDED LICENSE
430 ILCS 85.0/2-14 OPERATE WITHOUT INSURANCE
625 ILCS 5.0/12-603.1 IVC – NOT WEARING SEAT BELT/DRIVER
Apr 25, 2016 @ 19:40
ARREST LOCATION 816 N RIDGEWAY AVE
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/17236260

DALVIN MULLEN 18
CB NUMBER 19301165
720 ILCS 570.0/401-D-I: OTHER AMT NARCOTIC SCHED I&II
720 ILCS 570.0/402-C PCS – POSSESSION – POSS AMT CON SUB
May 19, 2016 @ 07:17
ARREST LOCATION 1031 N RIDGEWAY AVE
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/17248368

DALVIN MULLEN 19
CB NUMBER 19400593
625 ILCS 5.0/6-101: DRIVING/NEVER ISSUED LICENSE
625 ILCS 5.0/3-707 INSURANCE – OPERATE MTR VEHICLE
9-76-050(B) HEADLIGHT TWO REQUIRED-MOTOR VEHICLE
Nov 19, 2016 @ 21:31
ARREST LOCATION 33 N HAMLIN BLVD
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/17336382

DALVIN MULLEN 19
CB NUMBER 19502296
720 ILCS 570.0/402-C PCS – POSSESSION – POSS AMT CON SUB
720 ILCS 5.0/31-1-A RESISTING/OBSTRUCT/PC OFF/CORR
9-76-050(C) LIGHT, TAIL LIGHTS REQUIRED
625 ILCS 5.0/6-303-A DRIVING ON SUSPENDED LICENSE
625 ILCS 5.0/3-707 INSURANCE – OPERATE MTR VEHICLE W/O
Jul 01, 2017 @ 22:30
ARREST LOCATION 3759 W IOWA ST
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/17438736

TEON MCDONALD 22
CB NUMBER 19558830
720 ILCS 5.0/12-5-A: RECKLESS CONDUCT
720 ILCS 5.0/31-4.5-A OBSTRUCTING IDENTIFICATION
725 ILCS 5.0/110-3 ISSUANCE OF WARRANT
Nov 03, 2017 @ 20:16
ARREST LOCATION 646 N LAWNDALE AVE
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/17495713

DALVIN MULLEN 21
CB NUMBER 19735909
625 ILCS 5.0/4-103-A-1: RECEIVE/POSSESS/SELL STOLEN VEHICLE
625 ILCS 5.0/6-303-A DRIVING ON SUSPENDED LICENSE
625 ILCS 5.0/3-707 INSURANCE – OPERATE MTR VEHICLE
9-24-010(B) STOP AT STOP SIGN OFFENSE AS CITED
9-64-110(A) DOUBLE PARKING/NO STANDING
625 ILCS 5.0/12-603.1IVC – NOT WEARING SEAT BELT/DRIVER
720 ILCS 5.0/12-5-A RECKLESS CONDUCT
625 ILCS 5.0/11-204-A IVC – FLEE/ATTEMPT ELUDE POLICE
Nov 29, 2018 @ 11:17
ARREST LOCATION 381 N AVERS AVE
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/17673703

DALVIN MULLEN 21
CB NUMBER 19759737
720 ILCS 5.0/24-1.1-A: UUW – WEAPON – FELON POSS/USE
720 ILCS 570.0/401-G PCS – MFG/DEL – OTHER AMT
730 ILCS 5.0/3-3-9 VIOLATION OF PAROLE
Jan 23, 2019 @ 11:23
ARREST LOCATION 552 N CENTRAL PARK AVE
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/17697688

DALVIN MULLEN 23
CB NUMBER 30040177
725 ILCS 5.0/110-3: ISSUANCE OF WARRANT
Mar 31, 2021 @ 08:00
ARREST LOCATION 1820 225TH ST
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/17986732

DALVIN MULLEN 26
CB NUMBER 30341774
720 ILCS 570.0/402-C: PCS – POSSESSION – POSS AMT CON SUB
725 ILCS 5.0/110-3 ISSUANCE OF WARRANT
720 ILCS 5.0/24-1.7-A ARMED HABITUAL CRIMINAL
Apr 09, 2024 @ 13:11
ARREST LOCATION 940 N RIDGEWAY AVE
https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/18289916

DALVIN MULLEN 27
CB NUMBER 30454076
720 ILCS 5.0/12-3.2-A-1: DOMESTIC BATTERY/BODILY HARM
Apr 02, 2025 @ 09:23
ARREST LOCATION 131 N LOTUS AVE

https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/Details/18403251

Meet your commander – Davina F. Ward

I grew up on the Southside of Chicago in the Stateway Gardens and Washington Park Housing Development. I attended Holy Angels Catholic School, Edward Coles Elementary School and Emil G. Hirsh Metropolitan High School of Communications. My hobbies are volunteering in the community and traveling. My vision for the 11th District Community encompasses a broad variety of ideas which includes a continuity of care and safety for the community and its Officers. This vast array encompasses, awareness, solutions, violence prevention and community and Officer wholistic wellness. It is essential to have Community engagement in order to provide a safe and healthy neighborhood. This is done through the practice of all working together as one community from businesses to residents, community block clubs and organizations.
https://www.chicagopolice.org/11th-district-harrison/

References

Chicago Police Statement Person Shot … 700 block of N. Spaulding Ave (May 7, 2025) https://www.chicagopolice.org/mins/?query-12-page=2

Arrest Information (09 May 25) https://www.chicagopolice.org/news/cpd-charge-release-offenders-charged-with-shooting-of-26-year-old-male-and-25-year-old-male

Arrest History Dalvin Mullen (Sep 21, 2015 – Apr 02, 2025) https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/History/17125953

Arrest History Byron Atkins (Jul 03, 2023 – Jun 16, 2024) https://publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org/Arrests/History/18287929
Wild shoot out at Westside Chicago strip mall … appx 630 (17 Oct 24) https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1847072825825280103

742 North Spalding (shooting location) Relaxed Sunset Trap Houses Hookers and Downtown Wilding … the Danger of the Radical Left … Chicago 948pm (07 May 2025) https://x.com/SubxNews/status/1920578847403118835

Chicago’s Gangs: A Report from the Field (2011) https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/228228.pdf

How Chicago’s gang landscape has changed (Feb 28, 2018) https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-met-chicago-gang-landscape-20180228-story.html

The Fracturing of Gangs and Violence in Chicago (Jan 15, 2020) https://www.chicagosuntimes.com/2020/1/15/21066472/chicago-gang-violence-fracturing

Mapping Chicago’s Gangs (2016) https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/688879

Meet your commander – Davina F. Ward (Undated) https://www.chicagopolice.org/11th-district-harrison/

Chicago’s gang database to be dismantled under consent decree (Sep 12, 2023) https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/criminal-justice/ct-chicago-police-gang-database-dismantled-20230912-story.html

McCarthy: Gang crime underreported in Chicago (Oct 10, 2023) https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-gang-crime-underreported-former-police-superintendent

Mayor Johnson’s violence prevention plan (May 15, 2023) https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press_room/press_releases/2023/may/CommunitySafetyPlan.html

Mayor’s office statement on Spaulding shooting (May 8, 2025) https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press_room/press_releases/2025/may/spaulding-shooting-statement.html

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