14-year-old, 17-year-old charged with murder in shooting near Senn High School: CPD
CHICAGO - Chicago police announced charges against two juveniles in connection to the shooting that killed a Senn High School student and wounded two others late last month in Edgewater.
A 14-year-old and a 17-year-old boy were arrested on Tuesday. Police announced they were questioning two persons of interest Wednesday morning.
On Jan. 31, three teen boys, students at Senn High School, were walking about 3:36 p.m. in the 1200 block of West Thorndale Avenue when a vehicle approached them and several people got out and opened fire, Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling said during a news conference.
The boys were about two blocks from their school, 5900 N. Glenwood Ave., when they were attacked.
Daveon Gibson, 16, was struck in the chest and was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was pronounced dead, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.
Another boy, also 16, suffered gunshot wounds to the jaw, chest and arm. He was taken to St. Francis in critical condition, police said. A 15-year-old boy was shot in the leg and was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized.
Both offenders were charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. The 14-year-old boy was charged with two counts of aggravated battery, as well. The 17-year-old boy will be charged as an adult.
Chicago police say they used video evidence to track the car used by the offenders in the shooting – a stolen gray Honda.
The offenders were not Senn High School students. Police say there was an altercation leading up to the shooting. Detectives at the time said they believed the boys had been targeted.
Senn High School Shooting
A witness reported seeing one young male open fire on the three Senn High School students before fleeing the scene in a white sedan, according to police reports.
Daveon was struck in the chest and taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was pronounced dead, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.
Another boy, also 16, suffered gunshot wounds to the jaw, chest and arm. He was taken to St. Francis in critical condition, police said. A 15-year-old boy was shot in the leg and was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized.
Peg Dublin said her daughter-in-law came out of her home yesterday and held Daveon.
"As this child was dying she held him in her arms until he died, and she will never be the same again, as the family will never be the same again," Dublin said.
The boys were about two blocks from their school, 5900 N. Glenwood Ave., when they were attacked, police said.
Dublin suggested creating a safe passage route down Thorndale Avenue from Senn High School to the Thorndale CTA Red Line stop to help keep students safe.
Local Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th) attended the vigil and said she’s open to the idea. Manaa-Hoppenworth, whose office helped publicize the gathering, said she hopes the vigil shows concerned families that the community is behind them.
"Right now we really are centered on Daveon and the families and the other victims, because we want to show them that we are here for them no matter where they are and we’re thinking about them," Manaa-Hoppenworth said.
According to a police report, the witness told police there appeared to be only one shooter but could not tell if there was anyone else in the vehicle. The shooting may have followed a dispute inside the school, according to the report.
When officers arrived on the scene, a large group of students were gathered around the boys, according to the police report.
Kelsey Craft, who’s lived in the neighborhood for seven years, attended the vigil to show support for her longtime community. She said she was in "disbelief" when she heard about the shooting.
"For me personally my walking route is through Senn, so just thinking about those kids, defenseless and being harmed is just awful," Craft said. "I’m really proud of our community for showing up."
The attack occurred less than a week after two CPS students were killed in a shooting in the Loop. CPD officials have said there is no indication that the two incidents were related.
Former Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey was among those in the crowd Thursday night. He said the shooting Wednesday hit close to him because he taught at Senn High School for a decade before stepping into the public spotlight, and his son is a junior there.
He said more needs to be done to address the root causes of violence in pockets of the city, such as tackling homelessness and providing counseling, as well as more job opportunities for young people.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.