A 19-year-old man who was AWOL from a pending felony gun case engaged in a shootout that left a 46-year-old passerby injured this week, prosecutors said.
Jaheim Carson is the third person charged with shooting or killing — or trying to shoot or kill — someone in Chicago this year while awaiting trial for a felony. He was also shot in the exchange of gunfire.
Police found a 46-year-old woman shot after responding to calls of shots fired on the 900 block of West 79th on Wednesday evening. The woman, who had a gunshot wound to her left foot, told police that a man matching Carson’s description fired in her direction, prosecutors said.
Cops searched the area and found Carson in the mouth of an alley with a gunshot wound to his upper left thigh. He allegedly told them he was shot in the crossfire.
But prosecutors said cops found a 9-millimeter handgun near Carson along with video footage that shows him dropping an object near where the gun was located. According to the allegations, officers also recovered shell casings from 9-millimeter and 40-caliber handguns near the mouth of the alley. Nearby cars and buildings were struck by gunfire.
Police also found video that showed Carson lingering in a store vestibule, then emerging and pointing a gun that emits muzzle flashes as he apparently fired the weapon, according to prosecutors. The footage also reportedly shows passersby running away.
Carson denied firing a gun.
Assistant Public Defender Suzin Farber said he lives with his girlfriend and has a 2-year-old child with another on the way. He’s a senior in high school and works for a rug warehouse, Farber said.
Prosecutors charged him with aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
Last May, Carson was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon after police allegedly found a handgun in the car he was driving, according to court records. Judge David Navarro set bail that allowed Carson to go home by posting a $500 deposit.
But Carson stopped showing up for court last year, and a judge issued a warrant for his arrest on August 30, records show.
On Friday, Judge Charles Beach ordered Carson held without bail for violating the bond terms in the pending gun case. He set bail on the new charges at $500,000, which requires a 10% deposit.
Editor’s note: This report continues our coverage of individuals who have been charged with murder, attempted murder, or trying to kill a person while on bond for a pending felony case. CWBChicago began our series of reports in November 2019 after Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans publicly stated, “we haven’t had any horrible incidents occur” under the court’s bond reform initiative.
The actual number of murders and shootings committed by people on felony bail is undoubtedly much higher than the numbers seen here. Since 2017, CPD has made arrests in just 4% of shootings and 31% of murders, according to the city’s data. You can support CWBChicago’s work by becoming a subscriber today.