A 55-year-old Chicago lifeguard is facing murder and attempted murder charges after allegedly shooting two teenage boys at a local pool — killing one and seriously wounding the other — in what he told police was an act of self-defense.
The lifeguard, identified as Charles Leto, reportedly gunned down 15-year-old Marjay Dotson and 14-year-old Jeremy Herred on Thursday evening at the Douglass Park pool, claiming the teens were harassing him and trying to steal his bicycle. Leto insisted to police that he acted lawfully, stating, “I defended myself,” and noting that he holds a valid concealed carry license.
But witnesses — and now the victims’ families — say the shootings were completely unprovoked, and some are calling for a hate crime investigation.
According to police reports and witness accounts obtained by WBEZ Chicago, the shooting happened around 7 p.m. while Leto was fixing his bike near the teens. Surveillance footage reportedly captured the moment Leto pulled a gun from his backpack and opened fire, shooting Dotson in the back and Herred in the neck. Dotson was killed on the spot, while Herred survived and is recovering from his injuries.
There was reportedly no sign of an altercation or threat before the shooting. Witnesses told authorities the boys were simply standing near Leto when he suddenly opened fire.
“He was just 15,” one of Dotson’s relatives told WLS. “His bright spirit and loving heart touched us all. We cherish his memory forever.”
Herred’s uncle, a pastor at Grace Memorial Baptist Church, said the boy had only visited the pool a few times before the deadly incident. Both families are demanding answers and have hired attorney Jeff Neslund, who says the shooting appears to have been a tragic case of mistaken identity.
According to Neslund, Leto had earlier turned away a group of kids from swimming at the pool and later found his bike tampered with. He allegedly assumed Dotson and Herred were responsible and took matters into his own hands.
“The lifeguard shooter was closing up the pool,” Neslund said. “There were some boys that didn’t get into the pool, and they were the ones that … did something in connection to his bike.”
Authorities have not publicly released an official motive, but the victims’ families say Leto’s actions were fueled by more than just paranoia.
“We want them to look into his background and see what his motivation really was,” one family member told WBEZ.
Leto is now facing multiple charges in Cook County. His self-defense claim is being met with intense scrutiny.
“To claim self-defense is absurd when people are running away from you,” Neslund said. “They’re unarmed, they’re teenagers. So, again, it just boggles my mind.”
The investigation is ongoing.
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