CHICAGO -- Police have charged DeVonte Smith, 15, as an adult with first-degree murder Sunday morning in the shooting death of a Crane High School student on Friday.
His bond hearing is today.
Ruben Ivy, an 18-year-old Crane High School junior was killed Friday evening outside the school and another student was beaten with a golf club nearby in what police are calling gang-related incidents.
Police News Affairs Officer John Henry said earlu Sunday detectives had the individual who they have been "looking to speak with" since the incident.
Police News Affairs Director Monique Bond Bond said police believe have known who the suspect in both the shooting and beating is, but she would not confirm whether he is a student at Crane. He is described as a black juvenile male.
Bond said detectives will be analyzing video footage caught by the nearby police cameras. There are five security cameras within a block of the high school and a police presence every day during the dismissal, police and school officials said.
Chicago Public Schools spokesman Mike Vaughn said Ivy, who was a junior at Crane, is the 16th CPS student to be fatally shot this school year.
The shooting occurred Friday afternoon outside Crane High School, 2245 W. Jackson Blvd., according to Fire Media Affairs Asst. Director Eve Rodriguez. The incident occurred shortly after school let out about 3:05 p.m., according to CPS spokesman Malon Edwards.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's office said Ivy, of 2661 W. Warren Blvd., was pronounced dead at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County at 3:44 p.m.
An autopsy Saturday revealed Ivy died from a gunshot wound to the chest. His death has been ruled a homicide.
• An anti-violence rally took on new meaning Saturday as the mayor, police superintendent and Chicago Public School CEO gathered to call for an end to violence.
There's a picture outside a gun violence rally Saturday that reads: "This man tried to shoot my momma," while another picture simply says: "Stop Shooting."
The images were drawn by children at Paul Revere Public School in the Grand Crossing neighborhood.
"We as a community, especially the Black and Hispanic community, we need to take back our communities," said Annette Holt, mother of a shooting victim. "We can't depend on the police to have the answers to it all -- or the mayors."
Students, parents, teachers, and elected officials attended the rally at Revere School where Mayor Richard Daley passionately spoke against gun violence.
"This is all about someone's child," Daley said. "This is all about a son or daughter. These young people who are getting shot or getting killed is a disgrace to humanity."
"Yesterday's tragedy at Crane High School is a stark reminder we've got to take guns off the street," said Chicago Police Dept. Supt. Jody Weis. "We've got to work harder for that. We've got to continue to keep the pressure on."
Twenty-four public school students were shot and killed last year. The mother of one of those victims says the time to act is now.
"Our children should not talk about our goal is to go to the store. That breaks my heart. We have far too many children talking about 'if I grow up,' not 'when I grow up,'" said CPS CEO Arne Duncan.
•Police characterize the latest shooting as gang-related.
Friday’s shooting occurred in full view of one of five Chicago Police cameras stationed within a block of the Near West Side campus that is heavily patrolled by police and school administrators at dismissal time — as a number of students watched.
CPS spokesman Michael Vaughn said some 10 to 12 police squad cars are normally in the school’s area at dismissal time. Vaughn also said administrators form a “strong security presence” there when the final bell rings.
The shooting was “shocking’’ because of the high level of security at Crane — both in manpower and technology — CPS Security Chief Andres Durbak noted.
Police News Affairs Officer John Henry said the juvenile who was beaten is in critical condition at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.
Police News Affairs Director Bond said both the shooting and the golf club beating are believed to be gang-related. Chicago Police First Deputy Superintendent James Jackson said police were investigating a fight that broke out in the school earlier Friday. Jackson said the two students involved in the fight were suspended. He was unsure if the fight, which was over an expensive baseball hat, and the shooting were related. • Fire Media Director Larry Langford said a third young person was hospitalized in fair condition after suffering a possible seizure or asthma attack. Bond said the medical condition the male student suffered was not related to the shooting or beating incidents
CBS2's Rafael Romo and the STNG wire controubted to this report
Contents of this site are Copyright 2008 by WBBM. The STNG wire contributed to this report.
WBBM-AM 780 has been the consistent all news radio voice in Chicagoland for over 35 years and is now streaming online for free. Listen online to Chicago news as it happens around the clock, along with Chicago traffic, Chicago weather, Chicago sports and Chicago business. Subscribe to WBBM's free podcasts for additional Chicago business and Chicago community reports and listen to Chicago news on demand. WBBM news radio is also the home for Chicago Bears, Chicago Auto Show and Chicago Air & Water Show. www.wbbm780.com
E-Mail Story
Print Story
