Teen faces stolen car charges, may be linked to shootings of boys, 12 and 14
CHICAGO - A 16-year-old boy suspected of being in a stolen car linked to the shooting of two boys in a stolen Kia was charged Tuesday following the attack that ended in a SWAT incident in South Shore, police said.
Meanwhile, an adult suspect remained in custody, and charges were pending, police said.
The 16-year-old, who was not named because he is a juvenile, was charged with receiving, possessing or selling a stolen vehicle, according to Chicago police.
The ordeal unfolded about 1:45 p.m. Monday when two boys, 12 and 14, were traveling in a stolen black Kia in the 7800 block of South Escanaba Avenue, according to a police report obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
A black Dodge Charger began pursuing the boys and someone inside opened fire, hitting the 14-year-old in his buttocks and the 12-year-old in his abdomen, according to the report.
2 boys shot while traveling in vehicle on Chicago's South Side
Two boys were shot while traveling in a vehicle in South Shore Monday afternoon.
They were taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where the 14-year-old was initially listed in serious condition and the younger boy in good condition.
A couple of hours later responding officers saw two people ditch the Charger and run into a building at 7810 S. Burnham Ave., less than a mile from the shooting, prompting a SWAT team response about 5:20 p.m., the report said.
The two suspects, who police said at the time were arrested in connection with an "aggravated battery" and having a stolen car, were taken into custody without incident, officials said.
The Charger was recovered from the scene of the SWAT incident while the Kia was found shot up in an alley in the 7300 block of South Kenwood Avenue, the report said.
Tuesday afternoon, the scene where the shooting happened was mostly quiet. One lifelong area resident accepted the situation.
"This s – – – doesn’t amaze me," the 55-year-old, who didn’t want to be named, told a reporter.
When reached by the Sun-Times, the mother of one of the wounded boys declined to speak, citing fear of retaliation.
The two boys are the 12th and 13th children under the age of 15 to be struck by gunfire in Chicago, according to data kept by the Sun-Times.
At this time last year, 25 children under the age of 15 had been shot in the city, including four who died from their injuries.