Son charged with murder of father in shooting inside Oak Lawn home

A teenager has been charged with shooting and killing his father inside their home in southwest suburban Oak Lawn following an argument on Monday.

Sami Mdanat, 18, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder. Police said he shot and killed his father, 50-year-old Ayed Mdanat, inside their apartment in the 10400 block of South Austin Avenue around 10:45 p.m. on Monday.

Cook County prosecutors said Sami's cousin had been visiting the home on the day of the shooting, and sometime after 10 p.m., Sami got into an argument with his father, who was upset the cousin was still at the apartment.

After the cousin left the apartment, Sami and Ayed continued to argue, and Sami went to his room and closed the door, then called his cousin over Facetime, and told him if his father came through his door, "I'm going to shoot him," according to prosecutors.

Sami's cousin could see him holding a gun during the Facetime call, and then heard Ayed pounding on his door.

After Ayed got into Sami's room, the teen shot his father several times with a Draco 7.62 mm semiautomatic handgun, which resembles a small assault rifle, according to prosecutors.

Sami's cousin heard the shooting on the FaceTime call and drove off after Sami ended the call. Sami's mother, who was home at the time, came into his room and saw him sitting on the couch.

Prosecutors said Sami fled the apartment, and his mother picked up the gun and ran to a neighbor to get help. She also picked up three spent shell casings and threw them in the trash.

After receiving several 911 calls, responding police officers found Ayed inside Sami's bedroom, facedown on the couch, bleeding profusely from his wounds. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Officers found Sami hiding in the bushes several houses down from his apartment and took him into custody.

At his first court appearance on Thursday, a judge ordered Sami held in jail while he awaits trial. He is due back in court on May 29 in Bridgeview.