Chicago Gang Member Gets Three Years For Attempted Murder in ‘Weapon-Free Zone’

In June 2023 a suspected member of the Two-Six gang was arrested by Chicago police officers who allegedly caught him in the act of trying to murder a rival member of the Latin Kings at a Chicago Transit Authority station. According to CWB Chicago, Vidal Herazo had flashed a gang sign at the other man, who then confronted Herazo. At one point the Latin King threw a punch at Herazo and then fled down the platform of the Roosevelt Red Line station, but Herazo chased him down and repeatedly stabbed him in the head and arm. 

Herazo was charged with attempted murder, but took a plea deal before his case went to trial, and on Monday learned how much time he’ll spend behind bars for his crime: not much at all. 

A 24-year-old man has been sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to trying to kill a rival gang member during a random encounter at a South Loop CTA station.

Vidal Herazo received the sentence from Judge Laura Ayala-Gonzalez after pleading guilty to attempted murder, according to court records. With credit for time served and good behavior, he is expected to be released after serving three years, on June 4, 2026.

… Judge Susana Ortiz, who presided over the early stages of the case, described the altercation as “gang garbage.”

“It leads to nowhere good for anyone that participates or is involved in it,” Ortiz said.

Yeah, and three years for attempted murder doesn’t do any good for public safety. 

The vast majority of non-fatal assaults in Chicago don’t even result in an arrest, with the Chicago Sun-times reporting a clearance rate for non-fatal shootings of just 6% since 2018. On those rare occasions when someone is charged with an assault that doesn’t result in a homicide, most cases are still resolved via a plea deal, and sentences like the one handed down to Herazo are all too common. 

Why did the Cook County State’s Attorney even offer Herazo a plea deal in this case? Sure, Herazo’s victim might not have cooperated with police or prosecutors, given his own gang ties, but the state should have had surveillance video from the CTA station at their disposal, as well as the testimony of the officers who arrived on the scene and witnessed Herazo actively assaulting his victim. This case should have been a slam dunk for prosecutors, and a chance to send a message to other gang members in the Windy City that this type of violence won’t be tolerated. 

The criminal justice system did deliver a message here: stab someone, and you can expect a slap on the wrist in return. Oh, and carrying a weapon in a “weapons-free zone” like CTA property is no big deal either, even when that weapon is used in a violent attack. 

Herazo’s case is evidence of Chicago’s soft-on-crime policies, as well as the utter ineffectiveness of making public transportation off limits to lawful concealed carry. Violent predators are routinely ignoring those prohibitions, but the Seventh Circuit recently upheld the carry ban by declaring a historic tradition of banning firearms in “crowded and confined spaces.” 

The Supreme Corut in Bruen explicitly rejected the idea that crowded public spaces are “sensitive” in nature, and will hopefully review and reverse the Seventh Circuit’s decision when a cert petition is filed in Schoenthal v. Raoul. In the meantime, though, concealed carry licensees are still at risk of prosecution if they dare to exercise their right to bear arms on Chicago Transit Authority property to protect themselves against violent gang members like Herazo.  

Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.

Help us continue to report the truth about the Schumer Shutdown. Use promo code POTUS47 to get 74% off your VIP membership.