Lifeguard Charged with Murder in Douglass Park Teen Shooting
Chicago, Illinois
On June 26, 2025, at 7:03 p.m., Charles Leto, 55, a lifeguard, shot two teens near Douglass Park’s pool, killing Marjay Dotson, 15, and wounding Jeremy Herred, 14.
Surveillance video shows Leto, fixing his bike, firing at the boys as they approached with a companion; Dotson was shot in the back, Herred in the neck.
Leto, detained at the scene with a gun nearby, claimed self-defense, alleging the boys attacked him; he holds a concealed carry license.
Chicago police charged Leto with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and aggravated battery on June 28, 2025; he awaits a court hearing.
Herred, cousin of Laquan McDonald, underwent surgery; the park’s pool closed for two days amid community outrage and calls for hate crime charges.
