CHICAGO — A 43-year-old man is facing a weapons charge in connection with a Lake Shore Drive shooting that critically injured a 1-year-old boy who a doctor said Thursday morning was showing signs of improvement.
Jushawn Brown was arrested by Chicago police after he was identified as a person who fired shots at another vehicle in traffic in Tuesday’s apparent road-rage incident, police said Thursday.
Brown lives in the West Englewood neighborhood, according to police, and is believed to be the boyfriend of the child’s grandmother. No one else has been charged in the shooting, and a police spokesperson tweeted early Thursday that police are still searching for the person who fired the shot that struck the toddler.
Brown faces a felony charge of unlawful use of a weapon as a felon. He is set to appear in bond court later Thursday.
Kayden Swann, who police say was riding in Brown’s vehicle, was shot in the head when someone in an SUV fired at their vehicle. Brown produced his own weapon and fired at the SUV, according to police.
A good Samaritan who was driving by after the vehicle crashed near Monroe Drive stopped and took the wounded boy and a woman to Northwestern Memorial Hospital several blocks away.
Police said Brown’s firearm was recovered at Northwestern.
Kayden remained in critical condition Thursday in the pediatric ICU at Lurie Children’s Hospital, where he was taken Tuesday from Northwestern. He was in a medical coma to protect his brain Wednesday. Dr. Marcelo Malakooti, medical director of the pediatric ICU, said Thursday doctors have begun to reduce his sedation levels.
“As of last night, we were successful in lifting some of the sedation medication Kayden required to protect his brain. This procedure provides us with a better idea of his clinical state,” Malakooti said in a statement. “We are pleased to see Kayden make some recovery as he is demonstrating some return in brain activity. While it is still very early to make any meaningful prediction about his total recovery, we are optimistic about the clinical signs we are seeing.”
Late Tuesday evening, Swann’s family members said the boy appeared to be improving.
“The bullet went in and came out,” Kayden’s great-grandfather told WGN-Ch. 9. “He’s been in surgery. “It looks to be like he’s going to be OK.”
That Swann’s condition had not worsened since his arrival at the hospital “provides us with a cautious hope,” Malakooti said.
Check back for more details.
