Marjay Dotson, a 15-year-old Black male, was shot and killed on the evening of June 26, 2025, near the Douglass Park pool in North Lawndale. Prosecutors say a 55-year-old Chicago Park District lifeguard, Charles Leto, confronted teens near the pool shortly after closing while handling his bicycle; moments later Leto allegedly pulled a handgun from a backpack and opened fire. Dotson was struck in the back as he ran and was pronounced dead at the scene around 7:40 p.m.

Surveillance video and witness accounts described by prosecutors indicate the teens were unarmed and contradict Leto’s claim of self-defense. A second teen, 14-year-old Jeremy Herred, was shot in the neck and later reported paralyzed and ventilator-dependent as he prepared for rehabilitation; a third teen was reportedly fired upon but not hit. Leto was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and multiple counts of attempted murder; no other suspects have been named. Families of the two teens filed a civil suit and the Park District launched an internal review and announced reforms.

Did anyone in the Douglass Park area see or hear something that night that could help fill gaps in the timeline?