Chicago lifeguard who allegedly shot teens passed all background checks: park district

Deadly Chicago pool shooting allegedly involving lifeguard leads to safety reforms

The Chicago Park District has concluded its internal review into a former lifeguard who allegedly shot two unarmed teens, killing one of them last month in Douglass Park.

CHICAGO - The Chicago Park District has concluded its internal review into a former lifeguard who allegedly shot two unarmed teens, killing one of them last month in Douglass Park.

The shooting happened on June 26 when Charles Leto allegedly killed 15-year-old Marjay Dotson and critically wounded 14-year-old Jeremy Herred.

Leto, 55, has been charged with one felony count of murder, one felony count of attempted murder, one felony count of aggravated battery/discharge of a firearm and one felony count of aggravated discharge of a firearm in an occupied vehicle. 

What we know:

The park district's review concluded that Leto passed all the required background checks prior to his employment. He allegedly was involved in several arguments with fellow staffers and park patrons, but none of them were formally documented. Park officials announced a series of reforms aimed at tightening oversight and improving safety.

"This was a horrific and heartbreaking act of violence. Nothing can bring Marjay back or undo the pain caused to Jeremy and their families, but we must act with urgency and integrity to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again," said Park District General Superintendent and CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa. "Our internal review was guided by three principles: thoroughness, transparency, and accountability. We are sharing our findings with the families, the public, and our Board because our communities deserve to know the truth and see how we’re responding."

Among the planned reforms, the Park District placed a permanent security officer at Douglass Park, expanded de-escalation and mental health training for staff, updated policies on firearm bans, and created a centralized system to track employee discipline and complaints. 

(Chicago Police Department)

Douglass Park shooting

The backstory:

Around 7 p.m. on June 26, someone had taken Leto’s bike from where it was parked and left it up the stairs, although prosecutors said there was no information that the victims in the case were responsible.

Leto, who was employed as a lifeguard at the Douglass Park Pool, retrieved his bike and got into a brief verbal argument with one of the teens.

Leto walked his bike up the sidewalk, stopped, and flipped his bike upside down. He took off his backpack and began to search through it when the three victims were walking nearby.

Prosecutors said none of the "numerous" witnesses who were interviewed heard the victims threaten Leto. None of the victims were armed with any weapons.

As the victims walked closer to Leto, one of them "reached toward" his bike. That’s when Leto allegedly stood up, pointed his gun at the boy, and fired a single shot. The teen, Dotson, was hit in the lower back and fell to the ground, prosecutors said.

Leto then allegedly turned and fired shots at the other two teens standing in the grassy area. One of the teens put his hands in the air, and both boys walked backwards, away from Leto.

Herred was shot in the neck while Dotson was shot in the back.

Prosecutors said Leto called 911 after the shooting and claimed he was attacked by the boys, a claim contradicted by video and witness statements.

Dotson died from the gunshot wound to his back. The teen shot in the neck was in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. The bullet shattered his vertebrae and severed an artery, which brought blood to his brain.

Dig deeper:

Leto had no prior criminal history, according to prosecutors. An attorney representing the victims in the shooting confirmed that Leto was also accused of shooting two dogs, one fatally, in Lake View in 2023.

No one was ever charged in that shooting.

You can read the full findings of the review on the park district website.