DOUGLASS PARK — The family of a 14-year-old boy who was seriously wounded after being shot by a lifeguard outside a West Side pool is calling for the incident — which also left a 15-year-old boy dead — to be investigated as a hate crime.
The wounded 14-year-old, identified by family members as Jeremy Herred, is a sophomore at UIC College Prep and was leaving the Douglass Park pool with his friend when a lifeguard opened fire, said Jeff Neslund, an attorney for Herred’s family.
The teens were leaving the pool around 7 p.m. Thursday in the 1400 block of South Sacramento Drive when a man approached them and opened fire, police said. Both boys were taken to Stroger Hospital, where the younger victim was listed in serious condition and the 15-year-old, identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office as Marjay Dotson, died from his injuries.
Neslund said Herred remains in the intensive care unit after suffering a gunshot wound to his neck. Doctors have not ruled out brain damage, he said.
Citing a police report, the Sun-Times reported the shooter is a Park District lifeguard and he believed the teens were trying to steal his bicycle when he opened fire in self defense. Park District spokeswoman Michele Lemons confirmed to Block Club the shooter is an employee.
But Herred’s family believes the incident was a hate crime, Neslund said.
“We’re calling for justice for Jeremy and fully expect the State’s Attorney’s Office and perhaps the U.S. Attorney’s Office to take a look at this,” Neslund said, noting the lifeguard was “a white male shooter and two young African-American victims, given the circumstances and neighborhood where it took place.”
“There’s absolutely no justification ever to shoot someone in the back, let alone a child, as they’re exiting out a pool in a public place,” Neslund said.
Herred is a cousin of Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old murdered in 2014 by Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke in Archer Heights, McDonald’s family confirmed to Block Club. McDonald’s killing sparking national outrage, protests, accusations of a police cover-up and the subsequent firing of four other officers involved, and calls for then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign.
According to his website, Neslund also represented McDonald’s family in litigation resulting in a $5 million settlement with the city.
The Douglass Park pool was closed Friday due to the shooting, and crisis support was available to staff and residents, according to a statement from the Chicago Park District.
The Park District said it was cooperating with the Chicago Police Department’s investigation. It also said it “initiated a thorough internal review to understand what happened leading up to yesterday’s shooting and identify appropriate action.”
Douglass Park Fieldhouse will remain open for normal operating hours Friday, with all programs to be held as scheduled, according to the Park District. There will be additional security throughout the park.
No charges have been announced and Area 4 detectives are investigating.
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