According to reports, a lifeguard in Chicago is facing murder and attempted murder charges after allegedly shooting two teenagers at a local pool, killing one and wounding the other, in what he claims was an act of self-defence, telling police, “Those two kids attacked me and followed me.”
Victims Marjay Dotson, 15, and Jeremy Herred, 14, were at the Douglass Park pool around 7 p.m. Thursday when they were allegedly shot by Chicago Park District lifeguard Charles Leto, 55, while the two of them were standing next to him as he fixed a bicycle, according to WBEZ Chicago, which cited the police report and witness testimony.
Following the double shooting, Leto allegedly told cops that he was acting in self-defence and that he owned a legal gun with a concealed carry license. He claimed Dotson and Herred were stalking him and attempting to steal his bike, according to local ABC affiliate WLS.
“I defended myself,” Leto told officers, according to WBEZ.
“I have a licence,” he explained.
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Dotson and Herred’s families are urging authorities to launch a hate crime investigation, telling WBEZ that they want to “see what his [Leto’s] background is and motivation.” An official explanation has not yet been revealed.
Police say Leto opened fire on Dotson and Herred while they were near him, pulling a handgun from his backpack and shooting Dotson in the back and Herred in the neck.
Witnesses told cops there was no apparent altercation or provocation between Leto and the teens before he began shooting at them. Surveillance footage allegedly shows Leto shooting the teenagers.
“He was just 15,” one of Dotson’s relatives told WLS. “His bright spirit and loving heart touched everyone. We will cherish his memory forever.”
Herred’s uncle, a local pastor at Grace Memorial Baptist Church, told WLS that he had only visited the Douglass Park pool two or three times previously.
According to attorney Jeff Neslund, who represents both families, the shooting was an alleged case of mistaken identity, with Leto mistaking Dotson and Herred for children who had messed with his bike after he refused to let them swim.
“The lifeguard shooter was closing up the pool,” Neslund told the local CBS affiliate WBBM. “There were some boys that did not get into the pool, and they were the ones that … did something in connection to his bike.”
Leto is facing charges in Cook County.
“To claim self-defence is absurd when people are running away from you,” Neslund told the crowd. “They are unarmed, and they are teenagers. So, once again, it boggles my mind.
