COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — An Austin teen is accused of shooting a 14-year-old boy over comments the victim's brother made on Facebook.
Martell Champagne, 16, has been charged as an adult in the Sunday evening attack, which sent a bullet through the victim's upper right leg.
According to prosecutors, Champagne had been feuding with the 14-year-old victim's older brother and was annoyed by comments the brother made on Facebook about Champagne's friend who was killed in February.
Champagne is a member of the Four Corner Hustlers, prosecutors said, but the victim is not a gang member.
The victim was walking with two friends Sunday evening when the group passed a corner store in the 4900 block of West Augusta Boulevard, Assistant State's Attorney Lesley Gool said during a bond hearing Tuesday.
Champagne, who was inside the store, spotted the trio and started to follow them, Gool said. He walked with another male and was seen pulling an item from his waistband and stuffing it into his hoodie pocket, she added.
At that point, the victim and his friends began to run.
As the 14-year-old victim ran through a yard and tried to scale a fence in the 1000 block of North Lawler Avenue, Champagne pointed a gun at the boy and asked what his brother said on Facebook, Gool said.
Before the boy could answer, Champagne began shooting — firing multiple rounds toward the boy, according to prosecutors.
The boy ran down Lawler, Gool said, and a woman eventually ushered the boy into her home. That's when the victim realized he'd been shot.
According to prosecutors, he suffered a single through-and-through gunshot wound to his upper right leg and was treated at Stroger Hospital. The victim was able to identify his shooter, court records show, and Champagne was arrested at the corner store about 5:10 p.m. Sunday.
Champagne, of the 1000 block of North Lawler Avenue, is charged with aggravated battery by discharging a firearm. Cook County Judge Donald Panarese Jr. on Tuesday set bail at $500,000.
Champagne has a juvenile criminal record.
Police do not release mugshots of juveniles, even when they are charged as adults.
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