NORTH LAWNDALE — Police shot and killed a 16-year-old boy who was firing shots at pedestrians in North Lawndale Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
The teen, identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office as Tywon Jones of the 1600 block of South Hamlin Avenue, was shot in the 1300 block of South Independence Boulevard just after 4 p.m., according to Chicago Police.
Ogden District officers were northbound on Independence Boulevard near Roosevelt Road when they heard shots and made a U-turn, according to police. The officers spotted a gunman firing shots at pedestrians and fleeing on a bicycle, police said.
When the officers began pursuing him, he turned toward them and fired shots, prompting officers to return fire, police said. The teen was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 4:51 p.m., according to the morgue.
North Lawndale resident Kendra Smith arrived on the scene shortly after the shooting and said the teen was handcuffed after being shot by officers.
In photos taken at the scene of his death, the boy appears to be handcuffed, face down, tangled in the frame of his bicycle.
Jones' family members gathered at the hospital Sunday night.
"Right now I'm lost," Jones' mother, Jutuan Brown, said. "The police haven't told me anything."
Brown and Jones' father, Toby Jones, were given five minutes with their son in the hospital, to identify him, before being led out by police, they said.
Jones' father said it wasn't nearly long enough. He said he begged police to let him back into the hospital to no avail.
"I'm trying to get peace of mind right now, and I can't," he said. "They had my baby on the table like nothing."
Still in tears, Jones recalled how his son liked to play ball and ride his bike. He also suffered from bipolar disorder, his mother said.
"I don't know what I'm going to do," the boy's father said. "My baby died, and ain't nobody here for me."
The Independent Police Review Authority is investigating the shooting, authority spokesman Larry Merritt said. A weapon was recovered from the scene, police said.
