Chicago man charged in shooting deaths of 2 former co-workers at Navy Pier
CHICAGO (CBS) — A man was charged in connection to the fatal shooting of two other men at Navy Pier earlier this week.
Raylon East, 36, of Chicago, was charged with two felony counts of first-degree murder and one felony count of unlawful use of a weapon in possession of a felon.
Chicago police said East was arrested in the 7000 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue on Thursday. He was identified as the gunman who shot and killed his two former co-workers in the 600 block of East Grand Avenue.
The shooting happened in an administrative office in the loading docks at Navy Pier, where both victims were shot in the head and were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where they died. The victims were identified as Lamont Johnson, 51, of Lansing, and Peter Jennings, 47, of Chicago, by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.
East was described by police as a disgruntled ex-employee. Prosecutors said East was an employee at Levy Restaurant at Navy Pier until he was terminated just days before the shooting. He had worked there since August of 2022 and was cited for multiple acts of aggressive verbal and physical behavior toward his co-workers during his employment.
Further surveillance video appeared to capture East throwing the gun into Lake Michigan. The Chicago Police Department's Marine Unit recovered a semi-automatic pistol on Thursday and the CPD Firearms Unit said there is a "high-confidence correlation between the gun and the casings that were recovered" at the shooting scene.
The suspect was seen on video entering the loading doc area of his former job site, prosecutors said. The two victims were sitting at their assigned desks in the purchasing office immediately adjacent to the loading dock and were the only two other people present at the time of the shootings.
Police released surveillance photos of the suspect the day before East was placed into custody. One image showed him on board a CTA bus and two others wearing a black North Face hoodie.
The victims were discovered around 12 minutes after the shooting when another employee at Navy Pier found their bodies and called 911.
East turned himself on on Thursday in the 3rd District police station and was arrested. He identified himself in a still image from the clothing store he visited after the shooting and a still image of himself entering the courtyard of his residence.
Multiple witnesses familiar with East also identified him in several images and videos.
East had been previously convicted of aggravated robbery and sentenced to eight years in prison. He did not have a valid FOID card or concealed carry license.
He is due to appear at a detention hearing on Saturday.
No further information was immediately available.
