COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A woman who allegedly told her 9-year-old son to wait downstairs before she shot her boyfriend in the head last summer is now facing first-degree murder charges in the case.
Victim Lavatus McCullough, who was shot and paralyzed from the neck down in July 2016, died from his wounds a year later, on Aug. 7, at the age of 36, according to Assistant State's Attorney Jamie Santini.
McCullough's girlfriend, 29-year-old Samantha Santiago, was charged last month with attempted murder after police identified her as the shooter. On Thursday, prosecutors upgraded those charges to first-degree murder.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Officer ruled McCullough's death a homicide after an autopsy revealed he died of complications from a remote gunshot wound to his neck.
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It started about 1 a.m. July 31, 2016, in the 2000 block of North Kedzie Avenue, according to authorities.
Santiago woke up her 9-year-old son and told him to wait for her downstairs, Santini said. Roughly one minute later, Santiago went upstairs, and the boy heard a loud boom. Santiago came downstairs and told the boy they had to leave. She then took him to her mother's house, prosecutors said.
Santiago soon called 911 and told the operator, "He's trying to kill me and my son," according to Santini. When asked for more information, Santiago provided the address where the shooting occurred; she hung up without providing her name or any other details.
Police arrived to the scene and found McCullough face down in an upstairs bedroom with a gunshot wound directly under his chin at the base of his skull, prosecutors said.
Despite the severity of the wound, McCullough still was able to identify Santiago as the woman who shot him, Santini said. According to prosecutors, McCullough told responding officers Santiago fled the scene with their 9-year-old son. The boy considered McCullough to be his stepfather, Santini said. Santiago and McCullough were dating.
McCullough was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was treated for the gunshot wound that left him paralyzed from the neck down and required him to use a ventilator to breathe, authorities said. He was later transferred to a rehabilitation facility before moving into a nursing home in south west suburban Oak Lawn.
McCullough, of the 400 block of West Goethe Street, died at 1:58 p.m. Aug. 7, 2017, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.
Cook County Judge James Brown on Thursday denied Santiago bail.
According to court records, Santiago has a pending case for aggravated fleeing from police and driving on a suspended license. She has pleaded not guilty in that case, which stems from a March 29 arrest. She will next appear in court Aug. 30.
