Overview
- All three members of the Lackard family were indicted on charges including attempted murder, conspiracy, weapons offenses and reckless endangerment, and prosecutors say the mother drove the van used in the attack; Jennifer Lackard posted $75,000 bail and was released while her husband James surrendered and faces reported $15,000 bail and their son Chase remains held without bail.
- Prosecutors say the shooting occurred June 29 near the Bronx Criminal Court minutes after Chase had a court appearance, and surveillance video and contemporaneous text messages are cited in court papers as evidence of planning and a family-assisted getaway.
- Prosecutors released alleged messages that show coordination, including a quoted instruction from Jennifer that the timing had to be right, which prosecutors say links the three to planning and executing the drive‑by.
- Jennifer Lackard served as Mount Vernon’s deputy commissioner of wellness with roles in officer wellness and civilian-complaint review implementation, and the city has terminated her employment while officials face questions about hiring and vetting practices tied to her reported ties to the mayor.
- The case raises broader concerns about courthouse-area safety and the integrity of local appointments, and it will proceed through criminal hearings and arraignments that could shape accountability and departmental policy changes going forward.