Two teenagers — one on electronic monitoring — were charged Wednesday in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy as he walked home from school in Bronzeville the day before.
The 16-year-old alleged gunman faces felony charges of first-degree murder and aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm in connection with the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown announced Wednesday evening.
A 15-year-old boy also was charged with being in possession of a stolen vehicle.
Both boys have not been identified because of their ages. The alleged shooter has been charged as an adult.
Brown was on his way home from school when around 3:15 p.m. the 16-year-old boy got out of a dark-colored vehicle in the 3300 block of South Prairie Avenue and began shooting, the city’s top cop said.
“Obviously, it was targeted,” Supt. David Brown said.
Michael Brown was struck twice in the head and taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The two teens were found in Englewood less than 30 minutes later in a vehicle reported stolen in West Garfield Park about an hour before the fatal shooting, police said.
Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said the city’s carjacking task force was tracking the car when the shooting occurred and ultimately found it using various technology, including license plate readers.
The teens were subsequently arrested.
The 16-year-old was wearing an electronic monitoring band at the time of the arrest, according to Supt. Brown, who declined to share details of the teen’s criminal background.
“We’re losing too many young people, and it’s really sad,” Brown said. “There’s another family, another neighborhood, another community left to pick up the pieces after living their worst nightmare. No family, no block, no community in the city of Chicago should have to endure the looming threat of guns and gangs. I have to say from the 15-year-old who was gunned down to a 16-year-old who so callously took his life. This is a tragedy. There are too many incidents just like this.”
The two teens are due in bond court Thursday.
