COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A North Lawndale man has been charged with fatally shooting 15-year-old Martarese Gentry, a Gary Comer College Prep freshman who loved basketball and idolized Derrick Rose.
Prosecutors allege Martarese and 20-year-old Marlon Welton were among a group of people gathered to watch two women fight in the 1400 block of South Millard Avenue about 5:40 p.m. on June 16.
The women had been engaged in an ongoing feud, and their early evening brawl drew multiple witnesses from the neighborhood, Assistant State's Attorney Barry Quinn said during a bond hearing Wednesday.
As the fight broke up, Welton pulled a gun, pointed it toward the crowd and fired three or four shots, Quinn said. Martarese, who'd been watching the fight from a nearby porch, was shot twice in his back and later pronounced dead.
Police patrolling the area that night heard a commotion and saw part of the fight, Quinn said.
After shots rang out, the officers saw Welton standing on the sidewalk next to the porch where Martarese was shot, prosecutors said. Welton had a black object in his pocket, and three shell casings were recovered from the ground, Quinn added.
Welton took off running and was able to escape, according to authorities. After multiple witnesses identified him as the shooter, police arrested Welton on Monday.
Welton, of the 3300 block of West Douglas Boulevard, was charged with first-degree murder. On Wednesday, Cook County Judge Donald Panarese Jr. ordered him held without bail.
Relatives last week described Martarese as peaceful and loving — a protective big brother to his younger siblings. The teen loved basketball and wanted to be just like Rose, the Bulls' star guard.
"If [Martarese] wasn't at Horan Park's basketball court, he was at the center off California and Gladys playing basketball; it was his life," aunt Tina Gentry said. She added that Martarese often told his mother, "I'm going to get us out of the 'hood, mama."
According to family members, Martarese was hanging out with a friend the night he was shot.
Martarese's family had left Chicago six years ago to escape violence after his father was murdered at Horan Park. But last year, Martarese, his mother and siblings moved back to the city to be closer to family.
"This is crazy," Gentry said. "Never in a million years would I think this is would happen because all he wanted to do was have fun and play basketball. He was a good boy."
A GiveForward project was created to help fund Martarese Gentry's funeral services.
Contributing: Mauricio Peña and Josh McGhee
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