Crime
Video shows moments Marjay Dotson shot and killed by Charles Leto at Douglass Park
Authorities have released new details and surveillance footage in connection with a deadly shooting near the Douglass Park swimming pool Thursday evening, which left a 15-year-old boy dead and another teenager critically injured.
The suspect, identified as 55-year-old Charles Leto of Lakeview, a Chicago Park District employee, has been formally charged with multiple felony counts.
The incident occurred around 7:03 p.m. in the 1400 block of South Sacramento Drive, shortly after the pool had closed for the day.
Chicago Police Department (CPD) officers and Fire Department personnel responded to multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire near the parkโs basketball courts and pool area.
Upon arrival, officers found two teenage boys suffering from gunshot wounds.
The victims were identified as 15-year-old Marjay Dotson, who sustained a gunshot wound to his back and was later pronounced dead, and 14-year-old Jeremy Herred, who was shot in the neck and remains hospitalized in critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery.
Herredโs family confirmed he is a cousin of Laquan McDonald, the 17-year-old whose 2014 death at the hands of a Chicago police officer sparked national protests.
Charles Leto, who is listed as a lifeguard or supervisor with the Chicago Park District, was detained at the scene.
According to a police report, Leto claimed the two teens โattackedโ him while he was working on his bicycle and asserted that he was licensed to carry a concealed firearm.
Surveillance video obtained by investigators, though lacking audio, shows Leto kneeling beside an overturned bicycle near the parking lot.
As three teens approach from the sidewalk, a woman is also seen walking nearby.
Moments later, the video shows Leto suddenly rising and opening fire, striking the two teens.
Police say the shooting occurred just moments after the pool closed.
Eyewitness accounts and surveillance evidence contradict Leto’s claim of self-defense, and investigators have since charged him with the following:
- First-degree murder
- Attempted first-degree murder
- Aggravated battery
- Aggravated discharge of a firearm
Chicago Park District officials have confirmed Leto’s employment and said he was off-duty at the time of the incident.
In a statement, the Park District expressed its deep sorrow and announced the temporary closure of the Douglass Park pool โout of care and respect for the park staff and community members impacted by the tragedy.โ Crisis support services are being provided through the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Mayor Brandon Johnson, along with Park District Superintendent Carlos Ramirez Rosa and Alderman Monique Scott, visited the park on Friday to meet with staff and offer support to the affected community.
Leto remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court for a bond hearing on Sunday.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with additional information to contact CPD or Crime Stoppers.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subjectโs vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorneyโs Office.