Hammond man drove to Crete to sell 14-year-old boy marijuana; boy then fatally shot man: police

WILL COUNTY, Ill. - A 14-year-old boy is facing murder charges after allegedly shooting a 25-year-old man who was trying to sell the teen marijuana in Crete last month.

At about 9:05 p.m. on Dec. 30, Will County Sheriff's deputies responded to the 1100 block of East 263rd Street in unincorporated Crete Township for a reported shooting.

Responding deputies were advised that a person, later identified as 25-year-old Chaves Bradley of Hammond, Indiana, was struck by gunfire after crashing his car into several parked vehicles.

Witnesses said Bradley fled in his vehicle from the area where gunshots were heard, prior to striking the parked cars, the sheriff's office said.

After Bradley crashed, he indicated to witnesses that he needed help and then collapsed on the ground. The 911 caller believed the victim to be deceased. 

While investigating the shooting, the sheriff's office recovered digital evidence on the scene that indicated that Bradley was supposed to meet and sell a large quantity of marijuana to a 14-year-old boy in the area.

Bradley parked his vehicle in a prearranged location near the area of 263rd and Greenwood shortly before shots were fired.

Bradley was able to speed away from the scene as the teen boy allegedly began shooting in the direction of Bradley's fleeing vehicle, the sheriff's office said. 

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Bradley's vehicle was struck multiple times from behind by gunfire, and Bradley was struck once. He died from his injuries at the scene.

Crime Scene Investigators recovered seven spent .40 caliber shell casings at the scene, the sheriff's office said. 

On Thursday, a search warrant was executed in the 26300 block of Greenwood Avenue in Crete Township.  

Three individuals were taken into custody without incident, which included the fourteen-year-old boy and his parents.  

Investigators located a .40 caliber pistol and .40 caliber ammunition in the residence that matched the same type of rounds found at the murder scene.

The firearm and ammunition were found hidden inside the 14-year-old's bedroom, the sheriff's office said.

The firearm was determined to have been stolen from a Naperville residence.

The teen and his parents were transported to the Will County Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Complex for further questioning.

The 14-year-old boy was in court Friday morning and charged with three counts of first-degree murder, possession of a stolen firearm, unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of a firearm without requisite Firearm Owner’s Identification Card (FOID).