A 55-year-old Lakeview man has been charged with murder after police said he shot two teen boys Thursday evening in Douglass Park – killing a 15-year-old and seriously wounding a 14-year-old.

Chicago police announced Saturday evening that Charles Leto, of the 1000 block of West George Street, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and two other felonies related to the shooting, which Leto claimed to police had been in self-defense after the boys attacked and followed him.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified the deceased teen as Marjay Dotson, who died from a gunshot wound to the back and the death was ruled a homicide. The wounded teen was identified by his family as Jeremy Herred, whose great-great uncle, the Rev. Marvin Hunter, called the shooting “senseless.”

“It’s a sign of the times in which we live,” he said. “And I’m praying that people will reverse their attitude as it pertains to conflict resolution and violence,” Hunter said Saturday.

An earlier police report on the incident stated officers arrived at the West Side park around 7 p.m. and found the man kneeling on the ground with a gun by his knee, among a large crowd on a basketball court.

Man being questioned in Thursday shooting of teens in Douglass Park

Witnesses said the two boys approached the man as part of a group as he was fixing his bike near the park fieldhouse and that the man took a gun out of his backpack and fired two shots, according to the report. The older teen was shot in the lower right back and pronounced dead around 7:40 p.m., while the younger teen was shot in the neck and taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition, police said.

Herred is a relative of Laquan McDonald, whose murder by Officer Jason Van Dyke in 2014 helped expose foundational problems with policing in Chicago. Herred remained hospitalized in critical condition, the family said.

“He’s strong and we’re hopeful,” Hunter said.

Leto has a valid FOID card and concealed carry license, according to police sources. He is expected to appear before a judge for a detention hearing on Sunday afternoon.

Attorney Jeffrey Neslund, who represents the Herred family, said he understood Leto was a park district employee and told the Tribune Saturday evening that “there are a lot of open questions about who is and how he ended up at the park.”

Neslund said the family is relieved charges were filed, pointing to surveillance video, reported by WGN-TV and CWB Chicago, that he claimed showed neither teen attacking Leto.

Hunter questioned why Leto felt the need to bring a weapon on park district property.

“No weapon—the weapon at home in a lock box, secured—and my nephew would not be wounded and fighting for his life,” Hunter said. “And Marjay, the other young man, would not be dead.”

Originally Published: June 28, 2025 at 6:56 PM CDT