Overview
- On Feb. 25, 2024, four people were shot inside a home in the 8000 block of South Vincennes Avenue and three victims died, including 14-year-old Amere P. Deese.
- Antonio Velasco, then 16, was arrested in March 2024 and is charged as an adult with three counts of first-degree murder and related counts for his alleged role in the bedroom shooting.
- This week Chicago police and the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested and charged a second 16-year-old with three counts of first-degree murder plus additional murder-related counts, armed robbery and attempted murder.
- Prosecutors’ earlier court filings allege that Velasco left the room, returned with a handgun, directed a younger boy to retrieve a hidden rifle, and that three witnesses identified Velasco as the shooter; police have not specified the newly charged teen’s exact role.
- Court proceedings remain pending for both cases, with a July 23 review of Velasco’s detention on the calendar and the new defendant expected to be prosecuted as a juvenile, a development that could affect charging strategy and case timing.