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RICHTON PARK, Ill. - A 21-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his mother and her romantic partner inside a Richton Park apartment Saturday evening.
What we know:
Richton Park police responded about 6:37 p.m. on Saturday to a report of shots fired in the 22400 block of Richton Square Road and determined the shooting had occurred inside an apartment in the 22500 block of Jackson Court, where they found two adults unresponsive inside the unit and both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Prosecutors alleged the victims included a woman who lived in the apartment with her son, 21-year-old Javonte T. Morris, and her romantic partner, who stayed at the residence intermittently.
Court records stated that in the days leading up to the shooting, Morris had repeatedly threatened his mother's life during escalating arguments about her intent to remove him from the home.
According to a court proffer, the woman texted a cousin on Saturday, saying Morris was "talking about shooting" her. During another phone call, the cousin allegedly heard Morris threaten her life, warn of a shootout if police responded and rack a firearm. The cousin called 911 at 6:35 p.m. and police were dispatched one minute later.
Javonte Morris | Cook County Sheriff's Office
Authorities said Morris also called 911 at 6:37 p.m., reported a shooting at the residence and remained on the line until he was taken into custody about six minutes later. Police found him behind a nearby garage after he fled the apartment.
Inside the apartment, officers found a young child who told investigators that Morris shot both victims during an argument. The child described seeing one victim bleeding under a blanket and the other struggling to breather, according to prosecutors.
The child said Morrisn left the apartment before police arrived.
Investigators recovered five shell casings from a bedroom, found bullets from the victims and a .380-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun from the living room, court records show.
On Tuesday, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office charged 21-year-old Javonte T. Morris with two counts of first-degree murder. Morris was taken to the Cook County Jail.
His next court date is scheduled for Jan. 21 in Markham.
The Source: The information in this report came from Richton Park police.