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Argument At Senior Facility Leaves 80-Year-Old Fatally Shot

CHICAGO (STMW) -- Round two of a fight between two men at a senior living facility in the South Side Englewood neighborhood ended when an 80-year-old man was fatally shot in full view of the facility's staff.

The shooting happened inside Vivian Carter Apartments at 6401 S. Yale Ave. at 4:40 p.m. on Sunday, police said. Two men -- Robert Wesley, 80, and James Vine, 69 -- had been arguing when Vine allegedly pulled a gun and shot Wesley in the chest.

Wesley, 80, was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital at 5:19 p.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. An autopsy Monday found he died of a gunshot wound to the chest and ruled the death a homicide.

Vine was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree murder, police said.

Prosecutors said Wesley was in the lobby using his walker when Vine came into the room. A verbal argument began and a security guard separated them, but not before Vine made threatening statements in front of the guard.

Vine then went upstairs. Wesley stayed in the lobby but after several minutes decided to head to the elevators. As the elevator opened, Wesley stepped off and the men were face to face, court records said.

They began to argue again and the guard again separated them and decided to call 911. The guard turned his back on Vine and when he turned around, Vine was holding a gun. Wesley tried to swat the gun out of his hand and both men hit the floor. That's when Vine shot Wesley in the chest, court records said.

The guard heard the gun go off and heard Wesley shoot Vine again. The guard then saw Vine with the gun in his hand standing up from the ground.

Vine fled into the elevator. Police arrived and found him on the eight floor. He was brought down and identified by the guard as the shooter. Video surveillance captured the verbal argument, but not the shooting.

Prosecutors learned Vine made a second-party admission to someone on the eight floor that he'd killed Wesley. He admitted he killed it to police and gave them his gun which had two spent rounds and four live rounds.

On Tuesday, Vine was denied bond and a preliminary hearing was set for Nov. 21, Cook County State's Attorney's office spokesman Andy Conklin said. Vine has no criminal history.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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