A Chicago lifeguard shot at three unarmed teen boys, killing one and critically injuring another, after someone moved his bicycle near the pool where he works, authorities said.
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.
Authorities said Marjay Dotson, 15, was killed in the shooting, while his friend, Jeremy Herred, was critically injured. Leto aimed at another 15-year-old boy, who was not hit, according to charging documents obtained by Block Club Chicago.
The shooting took place just after 7 p.m. at the Douglass Park pool, where someone had moved Leto’s bike from the pool area and left it up a flight of stairs. There was no evidence to suggest the group of teens was responsible for moving the bike, prosecutors said in court on Sunday.
After getting off work, Leto allegedly got into a brief argument with the boy who was not injured in the shooting. He then allegedly grabbed a handgun from his backpack and fired the shots at the teens, 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 and sparked national outrage, 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.
However, following this weekend’s 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, however, there was no audio recorded of the incident.
Inside Leto’s backpack were two ammunition magazines, a kevlar vest panel and a satellite phone, authorities said.
Leto appeared in court Sunday and was ordered to be held in jail pending a trial, according to the Cook County State Attorney’s Office.
