NORTH LAWNDALE — The lifeguard accused of fatally capturing a teenage boy and wounding one other outdoors a West Aspect pool final week is similar one who shot two canines in Lakeview in 2023, in accordance with a lawyer for one of many victims.
Chicago Park District lifeguard Charles Leto is dealing with homicide and tried homicide fees within the capturing outdoors the Douglass Park pool Thursday that killed 15-year-old Marjay Dotson and critically wounded 14-year-old Jeremy Herred.
Leto had simply gotten off work as a lifeguard at Douglass Park pool when he fired at three unarmed teenagers — placing two of them — over a dispute involving Leto’s bicycle, prosecutors mentioned at his preliminary court docket look Sunday.
Marjay Dotson was fatally shot as soon as in his again, whereas Jeremy Herred was struck in his neck and stays in an intensive care unit, mentioned Jeff Neslund, an lawyer for the boy’s household.
Leto, 55, of Lakeview, claimed self protection within the pool capturing, an argument that was rejected by the choose who ordered him to be detained in jail pending a trial.
The Douglass Park capturing is at the very least the second time Leto has fired his gun and claimed self protection. Leto is the one that shot two canines — killing one in every of them — in Lakeview in 2023, Neslund mentioned.
The capturing precipitated an hours-long police SWAT standoff, leading to lockdowns at native colleges, Block Membership reported on the time.
Assault On Canine And Different Aggressive Conduct
The canine incident occurred the afternoon of Feb. 7, 2023, in an alley within the 1000 block of West Oakdale Avenue. That’s when Jacqui Michaels took her two unleashed canines, Barry and Oakie, alongside to take out some trash.
Michaels instructed Block Membership she was speaking to 2 neighbors after taking out the trash when a person approached with a “bizarre” demeanor. Michaels mentioned the canines by no means approached the person and he or she doesn’t imagine they have been performing aggressive.
“He was being actually bizarre, so they simply barked,” Michaels mentioned of the shooter. “I used to be like ‘come on guys, let’s go inside,’ and he turns and he grabs his gun and begins capturing.”
Barry, a rescue canine who was about 2 years previous, was shot in her coronary heart and died from the injuries. Oakie was saved by Michaels and neighbors who obtained the canine to a vet, the place a number of surgical procedures have been carried out, Block Membership reported.
A five-hour SWAT standoff ensued after the shooter bumped into a close-by constructing, CBS reported on the time.
The shooter, whom police described as a 53-year-old man, claimed the canines “advance[d] towards him in an aggressive method,” so he shot them in self protection in concern for his security, police mentioned on the time. No fees have been filed within the incident.
Michaels confirmed to CBS Chicago on Monday that Leto was the one that shot her canines. She couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.
The 2023 capturing ought to have been a pink flag to Leto’s employer that he was liable to violence, mentioned Neslund, the lawyer for the household of the boy wounded in final week’s pool capturing.
“This can be a disturbed particular person with a sample of violent conduct that by no means ought to have been employed by the Park District, let alongside positioned in [a] place to oversee or oversee kids,” Neslund mentioned in a press release. “Someone has to take duty for hiring this free canon along with his propensity for violence. The households which have been devastated by this capturing deserve a proof.”
Different neighbors and park goers have described comparable situations of aggressive conduct by Leto.
An individual who was neighbors with Leto in Lakeview from late 2022 to early 2025 contacted Block Membership, describing Leto as offended and a “free canon.” The particular person requested to not be recognized.
After the canine capturing incident, Leto’s neighbor mentioned the constructing they shared had quite a few tenants who have been uncomfortable dwelling and proudly owning pets in the identical area as him, with some individuals shifting out. After shifting out of the constructing earlier this 12 months, Leto’s former neighbor mentioned they weren’t stunned to listen to of his involvement in Thursday’s capturing.
“He’s the traditional image of somebody who’s searching for an excuse to make use of their gun,” the neighbor mentioned. “He used it on the canines with out regret. It’s identical excuse of self protection and fearing for his life that he’s completed earlier than. He’s attempting to play the identical recreation.”
A father of a 5-year-old woman who swam on the pool at Lakeview’s Gill Park, the place Leto beforehand labored, instructed the Solar-Occasions that Leto screamed at and made a fist on the father. A mom of kids who use the Douglass Park pool mentioned Leto was “strolling round aggressively, yelling and screaming at youngsters” the week of the capturing, in accordance with the Solar-Occasions.
Leto Suspended From Park District
Leto was employed as a lifeguard in 2023, months after the capturing of the canines in Lakeview, in accordance with the Solar-Occasions.
The Chicago Park District mentioned that Leto was positioned on unpaid emergency suspension on Friday and the district had began a proper disciplinary course of.
The capturing occurred simply after 7 p.m. Thursday, when the Douglass Park pool, 1401 S. Sacramento Drive, closed for the evening. Previous to the pool’s closing, somebody moved Leto’s bike from the pool space and left it up a flight of stairs, prosecutors mentioned in court docket Sunday.
Leto retrieved his bike and obtained into a short argument over the bike with a 15-year-old boy not wounded within the capturing, prosecutors mentioned. Leto then turned his bike over and knelt right down to rummage by means of his backpack.
Whereas going by means of his backpack, Leto appeared to see the three teenage boys on the sidewalk strolling in direction of him. The unhurt boy reached in direction of Leto’s bike, at which level he pulled out a pistol and shot on the boys.
Marjay Dotson was turning away from Leto when he was shot as soon as within the again, prosecutors mentioned in charging paperwork. Leto then fired photographs on the two different boys, placing Jeremy Herred in his neck, prosecutors mentioned.
The opposite 15-year-old boy put his palms up within the air when photographs have been fired and was not injured within the capturing, prosecutors mentioned.
Herred is a cousin of Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old murdered in 2014 by Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke in Archer Heights, McDonald’s household confirmed to Block Membership.
Leto known as police after opening fireplace and instructed officers he was attacked and adopted by two youngsters, in accordance with prosecutors. He claimed that one of many youngsters lunged at him and he fired in self protection.
Not one of the witnesses interviewed mentioned they heard any of the boys make threats towards Leto. The capturing was caught on digital camera however no audio was recorded. There isn’t a proof that the boys moved the lifeguard’s bike, prosecutors mentioned.
Leto’s backpack contained two ammunition magazines, a kevlar vest panel and a satellite tv for pc cellphone, in accordance with prosecutors.
Leto is charged with felony counts of homicide and tried homicide in addition to felony aggravated battery and aggravated discharge of a firearm, police mentioned. He appeared in court docket Sunday, the place he was ordered to be held in jail pending a trial, in accordance with the Cook dinner County State’s Lawyer’s Workplace.
Take heed to the Block Membership Chicago podcast:
Associated
