NORTH LAWNDALE — A Chicago Park District lifeguard shot at three unarmed teenage boys — killing one and critically wounding one other — over a dispute involving the lifeguard’s bicycle, in response to prosecutors.
Charles Leto, 55 of Lakeview, was arrested minutes after he opened fireplace on the boys Thursday night outdoors Douglass Park’s pool, 1401 S. Sacramento Drive, police stated.
A 15-year-old boy, recognized as Marjay Dotson, was killed within the capturing, whereas 14-year-old Jeremy Herred was critically wounded, in response to authorities and Herred’s household and legal professional. One other 15-year-old boy was shot at by Leto however was not struck, in response to a charging doc from county prosecutors
The capturing occurred simply after 7 p.m. Thursday, when the Douglass Park pool 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 stated in court docket Sunday.
Leto was working as a lifeguard on the West Aspect pool. There isn’t any proof that the boys moved the lifeguard’s bike, prosecutors stated.
Leto retrieved his bike and obtained into a short argument over the bike with the 15-year-old boy not wounded within the capturing, prosecutors stated. Leto then turned his bike over and knelt all the way down to rummage by his backpack.
Whereas going by his backpack, Leto regarded to see the three teenage boys on the sidewalks strolling in the direction of him. The unhurt boy reached in the 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 stated in charging paperwork. He was rushed to an area hospital earlier than being pronounced useless.
Leto then fired photographs on the two different boys, putting Jeremy Herred in his neck, prosecutors stated. Jeremy remained within the intensive care unit as of Friday, and docs haven’t dominated out the 14-year-old boy struggling mind harm within the assault, stated Jeff Neslund, an legal professional for the boy’s household.
The opposite 15-year-old boy put his palms up within the air when photographs had been fired and was not injured within the capturing, prosecutors stated.
Leto referred to as police after opening fireplace and instructed officers he was attacked and adopted by two youngsters, in response to prosecutors. He claimed that one of many youngsters lunged at him and he fired in self protection.
Not one of the witnesses interviewed stated they heard any of the boys make threats towards Leto. The capturing was caught on digicam however no audio was recorded. Leto’s backpack contained two ammunition magazines, a kevlar vest panel and a satellite tv for pc cellphone.
Leto is charged with felony counts of homicide and tried homicide in addition to felony aggravated battery and aggravated discharge of a firearm, police stated. He appeared in court docket Sunday, the place he was ordered to be held in jail pending a trial, in response to the Cook dinner County State’s Legal professional’s Workplace.
Neslund, the legal professional for the wounded boy, stated the capturing also needs to be investigated as a hate crime, however no such costs have been introduced.
The Douglass Park pool has remained closed for the reason that Thursday capturing, in response to the Chicago Park District’s web site. The Park District, which confirmed Leto is an worker, stated it was cooperating with the Chicago Police Division’s investigation. It additionally stated it “initiated a radical inside overview to know what occurred main as much as yesterday’s capturing and establish applicable motion.”
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.
McDonald’s killing sparking nationwide outrage, protests, accusations of a police cover-up and the next firing of 4 different officers concerned, and requires then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign.
Hearken to the Block Membership Chicago podcast:
Associated
