Bail denied for man charged in killing of Chicago rapper Tray Savage
Left: Demitri Jackson (Cook County Sheriff's Office) | Right: Kentray Young (Instagram)
CHICAGO - A man charged in a Chicago rapper’s fatal shooting has been denied bail following his recent extradition from Texas to Cook County in the 2020 killing.
Demitri Jackson, 20, was recently arrested in Fort Worth, Texas, on a murder warrant related to the June 2020 shooting death of Kentray Young, 26, in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood.
A Cook County judge denied Jackson bail on Sunday and ordered the former Chicago man back to court this Friday.
Jackson’s private attorney, Thomas Hallock, had argued against denying his client bail, explaining that Jackson was cooperative with authorities and left Chicago only after his grandmother’s death from cancer last fall, the Chicago Tribune reported.
But Judge David R. Navarro granted the prosecution’s no bail request, adding that Jackson faced natural life in prison if convicted of killing Young, who performed as Tray Savage and had been signed to the Glory Boyz Entertainment record label.
Prosecutors said in court that Jackson and Young were affiliated with the same street gang faction but gave no indication what prompted the shooting. Authorities said the men briefly "interacted" with each other from their vehicles before they drove away in different directions.
Prosecutors said both vehicles later returned to same area and Jackson and Young interacted again before Jackson moved his SUV to block street traffic before opening fire on Young’s vehicle, fatally striking Young in the neck as he tried to drive away.