Teenager Charged In Death Of 11-Year-Old In East Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 17-year-old boy has been charged in the shooting death of an 11-year-old in an East Chicago, Ind., park.
David Anderson, 11, of East Chicago died Sunday at a Chicago hospital after he was shot in Nunez Park on Saturday.
Anderson loved played basketball, according to his family.
Police say two juveniles were fighting Saturday evening when a gunshot rang out and the boy fell to the ground. Anderson was taken to the hospital with a gunshot to the head.
Police raided a home Friday morning in the 4200 block of Parrish in East Chicago and the suspect was taken into custody.
Maintenance worker Victor Castaneda says early Friday morning, law enforcement surrounded the home.
"They hit it pretty hard. The cops raided the place for the kid upstairs. I guess he was sleeping when they snatched him up," said Castaneda.
Castaneda says the teen, now in custody, worked for him over the past year and lived with his brother upstairs. He knows him as a maintenance helper, not someone connected to murder.
"He just made a dumb decision, I guess," said Castaneda. "He was always nice and quiet, him and his brother, very respectful."
The Anderson family lit candles outside their home in David's memory.
The family says the suspect's arrest manages to dull the pain of loss, at least for a short time, saying " It takes a little bit of pressure off, but not all of it because my baby isn't here and he'll never be back."
The family says they hope the 17-year-old gets life in prison with no parole.