2 Men Charged In Shooting Of 12-Year-Old Chicago Boy In Head: CPD

CHICAGO — Two Chicago men face multiple counts of attempted murder after they were arrested earlier this week in La Grange after police said they critically injured a 12-year-old boy and then led police on a high-speed chase out of the city.

Isaiah Renteria, 22, and Pedro Molina, 23, have been charged in the shooting, which took place on Tuesday when police said the pair was in an alley "looking for someone to shoot." Police said that five people, including the 12-year-old boy and two other boys, were walking by the area of the 1800 block of W. 21st Place when the shooting started.

In a news briefing on Friday, CPD Detective Brendan Deenihan said the group of five people was walking to a nearby toy store to buy one of the three 12-year-olds a gift. That's when police said the gunfire started and the 12-year-old boy — who has not been identified publicly — was shot in the head.

The boy remains in extremely critical condition at a local hospital, Deenihan said Friday. Deenihan said police believe the shooting may have been gang-related.

Deenhihan said that the black car was one of a couple of vehicles that had been circling the area where the shooting took place for about 15 minutes prior to the incident. Deenihan said that one of the boy's uncles returned fire but added that neither of the two men walking with the boy have gang affiliations.

"There's no reason to target these individuals," Deenihan said. "It just looks like these bad guys were looking for someone to shoot and then, in the end, you have a 12-year-old who is shot in the head."

After the shooting, police said the two men left the area in a car and reached speeds that forced Chicago Police to call off the chase. Police partnered with a helicopter from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which was working with CPD on a car-jacking enforcement mission, and was able to follow the car to the Hinsdale area.

Hinsdale Police made the arrest of the two men in the 800 block of East Avenue, where the two suspects were taken into custody after police used spike strips to stop the car. Hinsdale officers then located a weapon that matched the shell casings of the gun one used in the shooting in Chicago.

Police also determined that one of the two men had been involved in the shooting, Deenihan said Friday. Renteria and Molina were scheduled to appear in court on Friday for a bond hearing.