Chicago teen carjacked Lyft driver before fatally shooting 15-year-old walking home from school: prosecutors
No bond for Chicago teens charged with murder of 15-year-old Michael Brown
A 16-year-old Chicago boy charged in the death of another teen who was fatally shot while walking home from school Tuesday had a hearing before a judge on a weapons charge and also carjacked a Lyft driver shortly before the murder, Cook County prosecutors said.
CHICAGO - A 16-year-old Chicago boy charged in the death of another teen who was fatally shot while walking home from school Tuesday had a hearing before a judge on a weapons charge and also carjacked a Lyft driver shortly before the murder, Cook County prosecutors said.
Around 2:15 p.m. on Feb. 8, a Lyft driver picked up Anthony Brown at 4242 W. Gladys St., according to prosecutors. Brown was already on electronic monitoring for previous crimes.
During the ride, prosecutors say Brown pulled out a gun and held it to the driver's head, ordering him to exit the vehicle and leave his belongings behind.
Brown then allegedly hopped into the driver's seat and drove off. He then picked up a friend at 2:30 p.m. at 3510 S. Rhodes Ave.
Around 3:15 p.m., 15-year-old Michael Brown was walking home from school in the Douglas neighborhood when the 16-year-old suspect and his friend drove by in the stolen Lyft vehicle, prosecutors said.
The suspects then allegedly turned the car around, Anthony Brown exited the vehicle from the passenger's side, walked up to the victim, pulled out a gun and shot Michael Brown in the head. Michael immediately fell to the ground. Anthony Brown then shot at Michael approximately nine more times before fleeing the scene in the stolen Lyft car, prosecutors said.
Michael suffered two gunshot wounds to the right side of his head, one gunshot wound to his shoulder and one gunshot wound to his chest. He died as a result of the gunfire.
Chicago police recovered four shell casings at the scene, and they say video surveillance from across the street captured the shooting.
On the video of the murder, the shooter can been seen wearing a black sweatshirt with three rows of letters printed on it, prosecutors said, which matched clothing that Anthony Brown was wearing when police officers conducted a traffic stop on the SUV a half hour later.
The words on the shirt read "Reach for the Stars," prosecutors said.
At 3:43 p.m., police were monitoring license plate readers and had a hit on the stolen Lyft car. Officers then pulled over the stolen black Infiniti SUV at 23 W. 63rd St. The friend of the gunman was driving and Anthony Brown was in the passenger seat, prosecutors said.
Both suspects were immediately arrested.
A firearm was found in the front door pocket on the passenger's side, prosecutors said.
Anthony Brown's hands were tested for gunshot residue and the test came back positive, according to prosecutors. Shell casings at the murder scene also matched the firearm recovered.
"We're losing too many young people, and it's really sad," said Chicago Police Supt. David Brown. "There's another family, another neighborhood, another community, left to pick up the pieces after living their worst nightmare."
Neither Chicago police nor prosecutors have offered a motive for the shooting.
The two teens are not related, and no connections between them beyond the killing are currently known, a source with knowledge of the case told the Sun-Times.
Anthony Brown was previously arrested June 10 and charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon when he was found carrying a .22-caliber Glock handgun after a foot chase, prosecutors said.
The teen was released on electronic monitoring five days later, but the electronic monitoring order was dropped on June 30 and replaced with a curfew order, prosecutors said.
In December, officers arrested him after he ran from a car that had been reported stolen and found him in possession of a 9-mm handgun, leading the teen to pick up a second unlawful use of a weapon charge, according to prosecutors.
He was then placed back on electronic monitoring last month and most recently appeared in a juvenile court hearing on the same day as the murder later took place, prosecutors said.
The teen wasn’t wearing a shirt during that live-streamed hearing and was told by the judge to come back the following day "dressed appropriately for court," prosecutors said.
A private defense attorney for Anthony Brown said the boy was living with his grandmother.
Anthony Brown, who has been charged as an adult, faces counts of first-degree murder and vehicular hijacking.
The 15-year-old who was driving the SUV at the time of the murder was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle as a juvenile, police said.
Judge Charles Beach ordered Brown held without bail during his bond hearing Thursday, noting the boy was facing "adult consequences" for his alleged actions and could be sentenced to life in prison if he is convicted.
Anthony Brown was an aspiring rapper who went by the name 757 Baby Glock, according to videos uploaded to YouTube.
In an interview published on the streaming site in October by "MikeMakeMovies," Brown said he was unsure what could change in Chicago in regards to the violence.
"S—, I don’ really know because me, myself, I don’t think the violence will stop," he said.
"M———- die e’ry day. M———- could be dyin’ right now, anything. Everything that goin’ on daily, that s— happening right now."
Asked what his message would be to other kids out there who think this lifestyle is cool, he said: "It ain’t at all. Because once you in this s—, ain’t no getting out. And so if you got that chance to go on with your hoop dreams, whatever … if you thinking like that, take that."
Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.