Ambush or attempted murder? Jailed Chicago mom says she never pulled the trigger
Jailed South Side mom says she never pulled the trigger
A South Side mom with a legal gun license has spent over a year in Cook County Jail.
CHICAGO - A violent confrontation caught on camera—and long disputed by those involved—has now ended in a guilty verdict against a South Side mother who insisted she was fighting for her life.
What we know:
Newly reviewed doorbell and police body-worn camera footage captured the chaotic moments surrounding a January 8, 2025, shooting in the 1100 block of West 112th Place in Chicago.
"Whoa, she got a gun in her hand," an officer can be heard saying on body camera video while responding to the scene.
But the events that led to that moment began minutes earlier—with a physical fight.
Doorbell footage records a woman yelling, "Get the f--- off me," as a struggle unfolds outside the home. That voice, according to interviews conducted inside the Cook County Jail, belongs to Lakesha Harris, a mother of two who spent more than a year behind bars awaiting trial.
Harris was originally charged with multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder. She repeatedly denied pulling the trigger.
"Did you pull the trigger?" she was asked during a jailhouse interview.
"No, I did not," Harris responded.
According to Harris, the incident began when she stepped outside her home and was confronted by her ex-boyfriend’s child’s mother and another woman.
"On my way walking out of the house, I was ambushed," Harris said. "I’m scared for my life."
Moments later, a gunshot rang out.
"You just shot me," a voice yells in the video.
The 26-year-old woman who was shot shares a two-year-old child with Harris’s then-boyfriend.
Harris said the two had arranged to meet at a gas station to exchange the child—something she described as routine. Instead, she claims, the women showed up uninvited at her home.
"We had an agreement to meet at the same gas station," Harris said. "She had not been given my address or permission to come to my house ever."
Harris also provided text messages she said showed the woman was planning the confrontation earlier that day.
When police arrived, body camera footage shows the altercation was still ongoing. The woman who had been shot appeared to be on top of Harris as officers approached. In the background, a voice can be heard telling police the women were "fighting over a weapon."
However, the official police report described a different scene. Investigators wrote that officers found Harris on top of the victim, holding a purple Glock and pointing it at her. The report states she complied when ordered to drop the weapon.
Harris challenged that account and questioned the investigation itself. She claimed officers failed to search the other women or test them for gunshot residue.
"I told the police on scene, ‘she have a knife. She have a gun,’" Harris said. "They wasn’t searched."
Police reports indicate no knife was recovered and make no mention of a second firearm.
Harris said her gun had been inside her purse before the fight and that she does not know how it ended up in the other woman’s hands.
"I don’t know how the gun came out the purse," she said. "I don’t know how that gun got in her hand."
She maintained the weapon discharged during the struggle.
"I am concealed to carry. I have my FOID card. I’ve never been in trouble with the law," Harris said.
Before her arrest, Harris worked for the United States Postal Service. She said she lost her job while in custody and missed major milestones in her children’s lives.
"I missed two birthdays in here," she said. "I miss my daughter’s graduation. I miss prom. I miss college."
She also said her relationship ended shortly after she was jailed.
"He left the moment I got in here," Harris said. "It hurts."
What happened in court:
After days of testimony and the review of video evidence, a jury rejected Harris’s claims of self-defense.
She was found guilty on three counts: aggravated battery with discharge of a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm toward an occupied vehicle, and reckless discharge of a firearm endangering others.
Under Illinois law, the charges carry the following potential sentences:
- Aggravated battery with a firearm (Class X): 6 to 30 years in prison, with enhanced sentencing if severe injury is involved.
- Aggravated discharge of a firearm toward an occupied vehicle (Class 1): 4 to 15 years, with 85% of the sentence required to be served.
- Reckless discharge of a firearm endangering others (Class 4): 1 to 3 years, with probation possible depending on circumstances.
What's next:
Sentencing is set for May 21, 2026, where Harris is hoping the judge will consider time served and her clean criminal record.
"My life could be over," Harris said in an interview before the verdict. "That’s not right. The law needs to be changed."
Attempts to reach the shooting victim for comment were unsuccessful. The case now moves to sentencing.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX Chicago's Tia Ewing.