CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A Chicago Park District lifeguard has been charged with murder in connection with a shooting last week in Douglass Park that left one teenager dead and another seriously injured.
55-year-old Charles Leto of the 1000 block of West George Street is facing four felony charges, including first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, Chicago police announced Saturday.
The shooting happened Thursday evening in the 1400 block of South Sacramento Drive. According to a police report, Leto, who has a concealed carry license, told officers he believed the teens were trying to steal his bicycle before he opened fire.
A 15-year-old boy was shot in the back and later died at Stroger Hospital. A 14-year-old boy was shot in the neck and remains hospitalized in serious condition. His family identified him as the cousin of Laquan McDonald, the 17-year-old fatally shot by a Chicago police officer in 2014.
WBBM Newsradio confirmed the family connection with McDonald's grandmother, Tracey Hunter.
Leto is also charged with aggravated battery and aggravated discharge of a firearm. A detention hearing is scheduled for Sunday at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse.
The Chicago Park District temporarily closed the Douglass Park pool following the shooting and said it is conducting an internal review while cooperating with police.
Area Four detectives are leading the investigation.
