A U.S. congressman’s 15-year-old grandson was shot and tragically killed Friday night over a dispute over sneakers. Two teens are in custody and have been charged with the murder, ABC7 Chicago reports.
Jovan Wilson, grandson of Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.), was home with his three siblings (ages 16, 14 and 8) when two other teenagers came over, argued with him and shot him in the head, killing him instantly.
ABC News reports that Davis said that he was told the dispute arose when another boy had traded pants for shoes with Jovan’s 14-year-old brother but changed his mind and went to Jovan’s house with a 17-year-old girl. He said the pair forced their way in the house and argued with Jovan before the boy pulled a gun and shot him in the head.
Police announced first-degree murder charges against the 16-year-old boy and 17-year-old girl Sunday morning. They are being charged as adults, police said.
“I grieve for my family. I grieve for the young man who pulled the trigger,” said Davis, who represents Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, in a statement. “I grieve for his family, his parents, his friends.”
He continued, “Unfortunately, this is another example of a 15-year-old with a gun who shouldn't never have had it. Where did the gun come from? How did he get it? And of course he never should have had it.
“I guess that I always knew that the possibility existed that it could happen close to me,” Davis added.
The Windy City has seen more murders in the first eight months of 2016 than it did for all of 2015, according to Chicago DNAinfo.