(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A 16-year-old boy was charged Friday with carrying out a deadly mass shooting outside Juarez Community Academy in Pilsen late last year that killed two teenagers and wounded two others.
The boy, who wasn’t named, was charged as an adult with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in the afternoon attack on Dec. 16 near the high school in the 2100 block of South Laflin Street.
He was also charged as a juvenile with felony counts of aggravated discharge on school grounds, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful use of a weapon, officials said during a news conference at Chicago police headquarters.
The teen allegedly opened fire as classes were being dismissed for the weekend, sending groups of students ducking for cover.
Brandon Perez, 15, and Nathan Billegas, 14, were both shot in the head. They were rushed to Stroger Hospital and pronounced dead.
A boy and a girl, both 15, were also wounded, police said. The boy was struck in his thigh and shoulder; the girl suffered a graze wound. They were taken in good condition to Stroger.
After the shooting, a radio dispatch to officers said the gunman ran away from the school wearing black clothing. Days later, police released grainy surveillance photographs that showed the suspect grasping what appeared to be a gun as he fled.
The suspect was arrested Thursday at his home.
Police Supt. David Brown provided limited details of the investigation Friday, saying specific information about the circumstances of the shooting will be explained during the suspect’s bail hearing on Saturday.
“We currently don’t have a clear motive for why a 16-year-old would want to shoot and kill other kids,” Brown said. “And it’s unconscionable, as you can imagine, trying to find some reasoning behind it. It’s senseless. There’s no good reason.”
For many in the Pilsen community, the shooting struck a nerve because the high school is so intertwined with the neighborhood’s history. In the ensuing days, some students returned to school before winter break while others stayed home.
Some of them led a vigil and march around the neighborhood to decry gun violence. And residents signed up for shifts to hand out hot chocolate and snacks to students outside the school as a memorial grew for Billegas and Perez.
Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez, a Juarez alum, reflected Friday on the “large tragedy” and said the district is taking steps to bolster security.
“Bringing this closure is very important towards restoring the calm and safety that all of our school communities need and deserve,” he said at the news conference.
“It has been all hands on deck within Chicago Public Schools in ensuring that we are working towards … safety both inside and outside of our schools.”
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire & Chicago Sun-Times 2023. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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