A Chicago lifeguard has been charged with murder and attempted murder after shooting two teen boys – including a cousin of Laquan McDonald, who was shot and killed by police in 2014.
Charles Leto, 55, has been charged with one count each of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery and aggravated discharge of a firearm, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Police said two teenage boys, Marjay Dotson, 15, and his friend, Jeremy Herred, 14, were among a group of teens standing near Leto as he was fixing his bike Thursday near the Douglass Park swimming pool.
Leto allegedly grabbed a handgun from his backpack and fired the shots as the teens approached, hitting Marjay in the back and Jeremy in the neck, police said.
The boys were rushed to Stroger Hospital, where Marjay was pronounced dead, officials said.
Jeremy remains hospitalized in critical condition, with doctors concerned about possible brain damage, an attorney representing his family said.
Jeremy’s cousin, Laquan McDonald, was 17 years old when he was fatally shot by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke in 2014. The horrifying shooting of a Black teenager made headlines, as Van Dyke, a white cop, was seen in footage shooting the teen 16 times, despite Laquan being on the ground.
Van Dyke was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison in 2019, but was released in 2022, much to the ire of civil rights groups.
Meanwhile, following the more recent shooting, Leto claimed to have been acting in self-defense, telling police, “Those two kids attacked me and followed me….I defended myself, I have a license,” according to a police report.
A lawyer representing Leto declined to comment to the outlet. Meanwhile, attorneys for the victims’ families urged prosecutors to consider hate crime charges, as the alleged gunman is white and both of the teens are Black.
In a statement obtained by CBS News, their attorney said, “There is no justification or excuse for this heinous criminal act by an employee of the Chicago Park District.”
“While no amount of justice can ever restore Marjay’s life or fully heal Jeremy’s wounds, the families take solemn relief that the justice system is now engaged with the announcement of criminal charges against the shooter,” attorney Jeff Neslund said.
“They stand firm in their belief that through the diligent work of prosecutors and the courts, justice will be served. In this time of collective heartbreak, the families extend their gratitude to the first responders, including local football coaches at the park, all the medical care providers, the Chicago Police Department, and community members who have shown compassion and solidarity.”
Witnesses told Neslund there was an altercation between Leto and a group of boys after the pool had closed for the night.
“The lifeguard shooter was closing up the pool. There were some boys that did not get into the pool, and they were the ones that … did something in connection to his bike,” Neslund said.
However, Marjay and Jeremy were not among the boys who did something to Leto’s bike, Neslund said.
“The shooter’s backpack was attached to his bike somehow, and he took the backpack off his bike, turned the bike upside down, pulled out the handgun, and then everybody who was in the area just started to turn and run,” he said.
According to Neslund, the shooting was recorded on security cameras at the park.
Leto was due to appear in court on Sunday.
