Prosecutors: 12-year-old fired at cops, two 17-year-olds also charged

SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE - Three boys appeared in Cook County Juvenile Court Wednesday morning on charges of attempted murder, accused of shooting at Chicago police officers Monday night from a stolen car in the West Side Lawndale neighborhood.

Based on self-incriminating statements and gunshot residue tests, prosecutors said, they identified which of the juveniles had actually fired the two weapons recovered after a pursuit.

One of the shooters was 12. The other two in court with him were 17, one of whom sobbed during the hearing, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

Judge George L. Canellis Jr. ordered all three to remain in custody.

The 12-year-old did not fully understand the charges, so the judge had to repeat them.

“I recognize that the defendant is 12 years old. I recognize this is his first case, that he’s in sixth grade. I recognize he has family here,” the judge said.

But with a slow shake of his head, Canellis said he had no choice — based on what he’d heard in court from the prosecutor — to lock up the sixth-grader, at least until his next hearing in July.

Each of the three boys faces eight counts of attempted first-degree murder, as well as other, lesser charges. Their names were not released because they are juveniles.

At 8:04 p.m. Monday, the boys shot at two Chicago Police officers from a stolen vehicle in the 3100 block of West 13th Street, police said. No officers were wounded.

The boys were taken into custody in the 3700 block of South Pulaski after a brief chase, police said. The car they were using had been reported stolen in a carjacking in west suburban Forest Park on Sunday.

CPD spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted Monday night, “2 in custody, guns recovered after offenders fire at CPD & lead units & helicopter on pursuit. No injuries. Great police work.”