A 21-year-old man is facing murder charges in a deadly shooting Thursday night when he allegedly opened fire on a crowd of people during a fight near a notorious trouble-spot on the Near North Side.
Jaylun Sanders faces counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with the shooting, which left two people dead and seven others wounded about 10:40 p.m. near Chicago Avenue and State Street, according to Chicago police.
A second man, 20-year-old Kameron Abram, who was arrested shortly after the shooting, has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon and trespassing on CTA property, according to police.
Both are expected to appear in court for bond hearings Sunday afternoon.
Sanders was facing a separate weapons charge at the time of the shooting, court records show.
In November 2020, officers on patrol found a Glock 19 handgun with an extended magazine under his car seat after pulling him over in the Brainerd neighborhood for having a nonfunctioning registration light, according to his arrest report.
Sanders was released after posting $200 bond in that case and has pleaded not guilty to the charges, the records show.
An arrest warrant was issued in November and his bail revoked when he failed to show up to court, according to the records.
Police said the Thursday night shooting stemmed from a fight that broke out between two groups of people that were standing near a McDonald’s restaurant in the 800 block of North State Street.
Police Supt. David Brown said the attack was recorded by a police surveillance camera, which captured the groups arguing before someone could be seen handing the shooter a gun.
Sanders ran into a nearby Red Line station after, where he was taken into custody, police said.
Police did not provide any information about the circumstances of Abram’s arrest when announcing the charges on Saturday night, but Brown previously said officers had also arrested someone who had tried to help the alleged gunman escape after the shooting.
Antonio Wade, 30, and a 31-year-old man who hasn’t been identified were killed, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
A 17-year-old boy was taken to Stroger with multiple gunshot wounds; a 19-year-old man taken to Northwestern in critical condition with a gunshot wound to his chest; and a 46-year-old woman shot in the leg and taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center where she was stabilized.
Four men also hurt in the shooting later showed up at Northwestern Memorial Hospital: a 31-year-old shot in the hand; a 21-year-old shot in the arm; a 30-year-old with two graze wounds; and a 29-year-old with one graze wound, police said. All were in good condition.
The 18th police district, where the McDonald’s is located, has logged the most homicides in 17 years and the most shootings since at least 2010 and gun violence has been spiking downtown so far this year.
