Montana Weathers murder: New details revealed in July 4th party shooting that killed boy

CHICAGO - New details were revealed in court Wednesday after a man accused of opening fire on a Gary home after a Fourth of July gathering has been charged with murder in the death of a 10-year-old boy.

Montana Weathers murder case

The backstory:

Ernesto Posadas appeared in court Tuesday, where a judge ordered him held without bond. He faces nine charges, including murder, three counts of attempted murder, weapons offenses and vehicle theft.

The charges stem from a shooting just before 1 a.m. Sunday at a home where family and friends had gathered to watch fireworks.

Court documents identify the child who was killed as 10-year-old Montana Weathers. Investigators said the boy was shot in the head.

A 51-year-old man was also struck by gunfire and remains in critical condition at the University of Chicago Hospital.

According to probable cause documents, witnesses told investigators Posadas had attended the party earlier in the evening and got into a fight with his girlfriend before leaving between 10 and 11 p.m.

Witnesses said Posadas later returned and gunfire erupted outside the home. One witness told police they tried to push Montana out of the line of fire, but after the shooting stopped, they found the child lying on the ground.

Investigators recovered eight to 10 shell casings from the sidewalk outside the home. Witnesses reported seeing two gunmen run to a black minivan, where a driver was waiting. Someone inside the home also told investigators they fired shots at the minivan as it fled.

Investigators said Ring doorbell video captured the black minivan's license plate and showed at least two shooters. Police also said one of the shooters appeared to be wearing the same distinctive Chicago Bears shirt Posadas was seen wearing when he arrived at the party earlier that night.

Using the license plate information and license plate reader technology, investigators tracked the vehicle the following afternoon. Police stopped the minivan on Interstate 80/94, where Posadas identified himself as the driver, according to court records.

Dig deeper:

Investigators said Posadas initially denied being in Indiana but later acknowledged he had attended the party. He denied returning to the home after leaving.

During Tuesday's hearing, prosecutors also revealed Posadas has a prior violent felony conviction in Cook County stemming from a 2018 aggravated kidnapping case. The court also learned he was out on bond in a separate Cass County case, though no details about those charges were discussed.

What's next:

Posadas is scheduled to return to court on July 15.