The alleged gunman who shot two teen boys, one fatally, said he was “defending” himself when he opened fire at them Thursday in Douglass Park on the West Side.
“Those two kids attacked me and followed me,” the gunman told responding police officers, according to a police report.
The two teens were at the park about 7 p.m. in the 1400 block of South Sacramento Drive when the alleged gunman approached them and fired shots, Chicago police said in a statement.
But Jeff Neslund, an attorney representing the families of both boys, who are Black, said prosecutors should “look closely” at considering hate crime charges against the alleged shooter, who is white. He said both boys were unarmed.
The 15-year-old, identified as Marjay Dotson, suffered a gunshot wound to his back and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:39 p.m., according to the report and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
The 14-year-old boy, identified by the attorney as Jeremy Herred, was shot in the neck and also taken to Stroger, where he remains in the intensive care unit. Doctors fear he might have brain damage, Neslund said.
Jeremy is a cousin of Laquan McDonald, the 17-year-old boy murdered in 2014 by Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke, Neslund said.
“Anytime you have, you know, the shooter’s a 55-year-old male white and he shoots a couple African American teenagers. As a former prosecutor, I think you have to look at that seriously and see what his background is and motivation,” Neslund said.
When they got to the park officers found the alleged shooter, a 55-year-old Lake View resident, kneeling on the ground. Police asked him if he was shot. He replied: “I’m not shot, I’m the lifeguard,” the report said.
Officers found a gun next to his right knee, and before he was arrested he allegedly told police he acted in self-defense.
“Those two kids attacked me and followed me,” he said, according to the report. “I defended myself, I have a license.”
A 33-year-old woman who was a witness told police she was standing next to the alleged gunman who was fixing his bike when a group including the two victims “began approaching” him, according to the report.
The witness saw the man reach into his book bag, grab his gun and fire two rounds, hitting the two teens, the report said.
No charges have been announced.
Neslund disputed any notion of a confrontation between the boys and the gunman, adding that Jeremy “wasn’t even close to this guy.”
The attorney also questioned what the alleged gunman’s responsibilities are and why he was at Douglass Park.
“You don’t find too many 55-year-old lifeguards, especially packing their 9 mm in their backpack,” Neslund said.
The Chicago Park District closed the Douglass Park pool Friday “out of care and respect for the park staff and community members impacted by yesterday’s events.”
The park district confirmed the alleged shooter is an employee.
“The Chicago Park District is deeply saddened by the tragic shooting that occurred at Douglass Park,” spokesperson Michele Lemons said in a statement to the Sun-Times on Friday morning. “In spite of this tragic event, Douglass Park remains a safe and vibrant community anchor. … We have initiated a thorough internal review to understand what happened leading up to yesterday’s shooting and identify appropriate action.”
Monique Almore, a 36-year-old Douglass Park resident, showed up at the park Friday afternoon to speak with the camp director after hearing that a lifeguard was involved in the fatal shooting the night before.
“It’s an unfortunate situation,” Almore said.
Almore said she wanted to know whether the employee would continue working at the park district’s pool, where her 10-year-old daughter attends camp.
“He’s a lifeguard,” Almore said of the alleged gunman. “It makes me worry. Are my kids going to be safe at camp?”
Renita Hampton, 60, who also lives in the Douglass Park area, said she wasn’t at the park when the shooting happened, but she saw posts about it online.
Her children were at the park earlier in the day, but she picked them up about 4:30 p.m., a few hours before the incident.
Hampton has had positive experiences living in the area and with the park staff.
“Over here, it’s been quite good to me. I’ve had no problems,” Hampton said.
“My kids are still in the program and they have been for three or four years. I have no problems; if there were, my kids wouldn’t go here. They’re safe here.”
Hampton added that the park district communicates regularly with parents and holds monthly meetings for parents to engage with staff.
When the pool is open, Hampton said she typically sees two to three lifeguards on duty.
Area 4 detectives are investigating.