Boy, 16, charged in Fuller Park mass shooting that left boy dead, 4 hurt; shots fired by responding police
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 16-year-old boy was charged in connection to a shooting in the Fuller Park neighborhood that left another boy dead, and four others wounded earlier this week.
According to Chicago police, a group of people fired shots at another group in the 4200 block of South Wells Street just after 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Police said when officers arrived, they found multiple people wounded.
An armed suspect then fired shots at police. Police said an officer shot back.
Police said the suspect who shot at police ran away but was later arrested. Police said the gunman in custody was shot in the leg, but it is not known if the injury was from the shootout or police gunfire.
According to police, five people were shot, including a 14-year-old boy who was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
The boy was identified as Pierre Johnson. He was on the porch of an abandoned building with a 19-year-old man when shots were fired at them, according to the police report.
We have learned Pierre was a freshman at Perspectives/IIT Math & Science Academy in Bronzeville.
Staff at the school told us Pierre was a "great kid," and added, "This is a heartbreaking loss to our school community, and our thoughts are with the family at this time."
Neighbors, who did not want to be named, described Pierre as a "good kid" with a "beautiful smile." Another neighbor said shots when through his house.
We caught up with a family friend of Pierre's over the phone. She said he could make friends with anyone.
He loved sports – especially baseball and football – and he loved traveling with their family out of the city, the family friend said. She said he would've become a wonderful man.
Pierre is the second member of his family to be killed in gun violence on the same block in five years, the family friend said.
A 21-year-old woman was among the people injured. Her condition is unknown at this time.
The others who were shot are teenage boys, and two of them are in critical condition.
Police confirmed three officers were taken to local hospitals for observation.
Two guns and at least 80 shell casings – both 9mm and rifle rounds – were recovered from the scene. Our cameras caught neighbors cleaning up the bloody scene left behind.
The 16-year-old was charged with six felony counts of attempted first-degree murder, three felony counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm from a vehicle, three felony counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm from a vehicle at peace officers, and one felony count of unlawful use of a weapon.
The officers involved will be placed on administrative duties as the Civilian Office of Police Accountability investigates. There are no updates from COPA as of Saturday.
