White Lifeguard Shoots Black Teen in the Back, Claims Self-Defense

A lifeguard from Chicago faces serious charges, including murder and attempted murder, following a tragic incident involving two Black teenage boys, one of whom is related to Laquan McDonald. Charles Leto, 55, has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery, and other firearm-related offenses stemming from a shooting at Douglass Park on June 26.Reports indicate that Marjay Dotson, 15, and his friend Jeremy Herred, 14, were nearby when Leto brandished a firearm after an alleged confrontation regarding his bike. Surveillance footage captured Leto pulling out his weapon before firing, fatally injuring Dotson and critically wounding Herred, who underwent surgery for his injuries.Leto, claiming self-defense, stated he was threatened. However, attorneys for the victims’ families have called for hate crime charges, contending that the act was unjustified. Community leaders express outrage over the senseless violence enacted by someone employed to safeguard lives. Leto, a new seasonal lifeguard, is currently suspended, as investigations continue.