CHICAGO — A 17-year-old with a juvenile court history involving guns, drugs, and a vehicular hijacking is charged with robbing and shooting another teenager who was walking to school two months ago. James Lostion, 17, is also charged with robbing another victim hours after he allegedly shot the 17-year-old boy on November 11.
In a written proffer, Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Rusch said the victim was running late for school when Lostion confronted him in the 5300 block of West Congress around 10 a.m. Lostion lifted his sweatshirt to show a handgun in his waistband and demanded the victim’s Moose Knuckle jacket and Bape hoodie, with a combined value of $1,300 to $1,600, Rusch said.
The victim complied with both demands. After Lostion found the victim’s iPhone, the victim gave him a fake password, and Lostion began to walk away. A few steps away, Lostion turned around with a gun in his hand and shot the victim multiple times, Rusch said. The boy had to have part of his intestines removed.
Rusch said the victim told police that the robber wore a black sweatshirt that had a design featuring a pink spider and gold stars. Investigators circulated photos of the robber to cops across the city and an officer recognized Lostion.
A few hours after the shooting, Lostion allegedly robbed another victim at gunpoint in the 5200 block of West Harrison, officials said. Cops recently arrested him in that case and executed a search warrant on his phone, said Rusch.
The search revealed images of Lostion holding guns and rifles and photos of a Bape sweatshirt and Moose Knuckle coat identical to the victim’s clothing, according to Rusch. He said chat logs “suggest” Lostion admitted to shooting someone as he tried to sell the coat and sweatshirt.
Rusch detailed Lostion’s juvenile history, saying it included a year of court supervision for unlawful possession of a weapon in 2022 and probation for a carjacking in 2023. Lostion was on probation for a 2023 case involving gun and drug charges at the time of the November shooting and robberies, according to Rusch.
Judge David Kelly ordered Lostion detained on charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery by discharging a firearm, and armed robbery with a firearm.
Chicago police detectives released a community alert on November 16 that linked the two November 11 robberies to similar crimes that occurred the same week in the 400 and 500 blocks of South Lockwood. Lostion has not been charged with those cases.
