Friday marks one year since a then-lifeguard was caught on video shooting teenagers Marjay Dotson and Jeremy Herred Jr. at Douglass Park.

YouTube video by Princess Marjay Avenger

The suspended Chicago Park District lifeguard accused in a deadly shooting will remain in custody.

Streaming now at https://abc7.ws/484PqhJChicago Park District lifeguard Charles Leto appeared in court for the Douglass Park shooting that killed Marjay Dots...

For the first time, a teen shooting victim himself spoke exclusively with ABC7 as the former Chicago lifeguard accused in the shooting that left him paralyzed and another teen dead appeared in court.

More than three months after he was shot, a Chicago teenager will move from a hospital to a rehab facility this week.

The lawsuit accuses the Park District of misconduct in hiring Charles Leto, who prosecutors say shot and killed Marjay Dotson, 15, and wounded Jeremy Herred, 14, over a dispute about Leto’s bike.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday on behalf of 15-year-old Marjay Dotson and 14-year-old Jeremy Herred, comes more than two months after the teens were shot in Douglass Park during an encounter with a 55-yea...

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday on behalf of 15-year-old Marjay Dotson and 14-year-old Jeremy Herred, comes more than two months after the teens were shot in Douglass Park during an encounter with a 55-yea...

NORTH LAWNDALE — The families of the two teens shot by a Chicago Park District lifeguard at Douglass Park have filed suit against the Park District and lifeguard, saying they are still seeking answers in the fatal June shooting. Lifeguard Charles Leto is accused of shooting Marjay Dotson, 15, and 14-year-old Jeremy Herred June 26 outside Douglass Park’s pool, killing Dotson and wounding Herred, who is now paralyzed in all of his limbs, according to his family. An argument over Leto’s bike is alleged to have sparked the shooting, according to prosecutors. The families of Dotson and Herred announced the lawsuit at a Wednesday press conference. The suit accuses the Park District of misconduct in employing Leto, 55, as a lifeguard after he caused a SWAT incident in Lakeview months before his hiring. It also names Leto in a wrongful death claim in the killing of Dotson, who along with Herred was unarmed and “never threatened” Leto, the lawsuit states. “We hope through this lawsuit that we can bring change and accountability to the park district, so a lifeguard who’s supposed to save lives — not take lives — is not allowed to bring a loaded handgun to work,” attorney Jeff Neslund, who is representing the families, said at a Wednesday press conference. “What should have been a great day in the summer, fun at the pool, turned into a nightmare.” 15-year-old Marjay Dotson (top left) was killed and 15-year-old Jeremy Herred was critically wounded when lifeguard Charles Leto, 55 , opened fire on the teens outside the Douglass Park pool June 26, 2025, police and prosecutors said. Credit: Provided, Michael Liptrot/Block Club Chicago Leto was on duty as a lifeguard at Douglass Park’s pool, 1401 S. Sacramento Drive, on June 26 when he turned some kids away from the pool near closing time, and the kids in turn rode Leto’s bike to another portion of the pool area, the lawsuit claims. Leto retrieved his bike and turned it upside down. Dotson, Herred and another boy — who were not the children refused entry to the pool — walked toward Leto and his bike, according to the lawsuit. The unnamed third boy made a move toward Leto’s bike, at which point the lifeguard pulled a gun out of his backpack and opened fire on the teens, who had turned to run away, prosecutors said at the time. Dotson was fatally shot in his back, while Herred was struck in his neck, authorities said. Herred remains unable to move his arms or legs, and he was undergoing another surgery Wednesday to help improve his condition, family said. Following the June shooting, West Side community members held a rally questioning how and why Leto was even hired by the Park District after Leto in 2023 shot two dogs in Lakeview, killing one and wounding another. The shooting led to a SWAT standoff resulting in lockdowns at local schools, Block Club reported at the time. The civil lawsuit filed Tuesday seeks financial compensation in eight counts, including wanton conduct, wrongful death, battery, emotional distress and wanton hiring and retention against Leto and the Park District. The lawsuit cites a series of “red flags” against Leto that should have excluded him from being hired and promoted within the Park District before the shooting. Complaints from park patrons of aggressive behavior, text messages from Leto to Park District staff and more all demonstrated that Leto “was unfit to be a lifeguard, could not manage his emotions and was a safety risk,” according to the lawsuit. “The hiring, retention and promotion of [Leto] by the [Park District] was willful and wonton misconduct committed with utter indifference to and conscious disregard for the safety and well-being of patrons of Douglass Park, including Jeremy Herred and Marjay Dotson,” the lawsuit states. Jeff Neslund, attorney for the families of Marjay Dotson and Jeremy Herred, addresses media in front of the Chicago Park District headquarters at 4830 S. Western Ave. on Sept. 3. Credit: Michael Liptrot/Block Club Chicago Following the shooting, family members and community leaders demanded systemic changes within the Park District, including instituting cultural competency programs and mandatory background checks for all park staff. In July, the Park District said it would meet with community leaders, later releasing the results of an internal review that found a pattern of altercations between Leto and staff and patrons while working at Douglass Park. The district also said it would add permanent security at the park and implement strong disciplinary tracking for staff, a move that appeared to align with community demands. At Wednesday’s press conference, however, family members said conversations with the Park District have soured. “The Park District truly abandoned us. We reach out to them, they reach out to others,” said Terris Williams, Herred’s grandfather. “They think they are going to sweep us under the rug, but we won’t let them.” The Park District said in a statement Wednesday that “now that the matter is in litigation, the Park District will review and respond to the case accordingly.” Leto has been charged with murder in the shooting and is being held in Cook County Jail through his trial, with his next court date set for Oct. 14, records show. His legal team did not immediately respond for comment. * * * **Support Local News!** **Subscribe to Block Club Chicago, **an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods. 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Charles Leto, 55, is accused of fatally shooting 15-year-old Marjay Dotson and wounding 14-year-old Jeremy Herred June 26 at the Douglass Park pool in North Lawndale.

Streaming now at https://abc7chicago.com/watch/live/11064984/.Charles Leto is charged in the Chicago shooting at Douglass Park that killed Marjay Dotson, 15,...