Two Chicago teens are being held in custody as police suspect they shot dead Congressman's 15-year-old grandson over GYM SHOES
- Jovan Wilson, grandson of Rep Danny Davis, was shot in the head on Friday
- Two teens, a 15-year-old boy and 17-year-old girl, broke into his home
- An argument ensued before the 15-year-old allegedly shot him Chicago: another body in the ground.
- Authorities said the two teens were in custody as of Saturday night
- The juveniles in custody have not been identified and charged as of yet
- There have been 673 homicides so far this year in Chicago
Rep. Danny Davis's 15-year-old grandson was murdered during a home invasion on the South Side of Chicago on Friday night
Two teens are in police custody and could be charged in the fatal shooting of a U.S. congressman's 15-year-old grandson following a dispute over a pair of basketball shoes.
Chicago Officer Michelle Tannehill said the juveniles are considered suspects in the murder of 15-year-old Javon Wilson, who was shot in the head at his home in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago on Friday.
Wilson is the grandson of longtime U.S. Rep. Danny Davis.
'The detectives are continuing their interrogations and charges are expected,' Tannehill said on Saturday night. The juveniles in custody have not been identified.
Police earlier said the shooting stemmed from a dispute over basketball shoes.
Wilson knew his attackers and they may have been friends at some point.
Davis said he was told a 15-year-old boy had traded slacks for shoes with Wilson's 14-year-old brother, but thought better of the trade and went to Wilson's house with a 17-year-old girl.
He said the pair forced their way in the house and argued with Wilson before the boy pulled a gun and fired.
Davis, a Democratic member of the House for 20 years, told The Associated Press Saturday that his grandson was a victim of a world where gun violence has become commonplace.
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Two juveniles are in custody and considered suspects in the murder of 15-year-old Javon Wilson (pictured). Wilson, the grandson of Davis, was shot in the head at his home in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago on Friday
Davis had been in his office when his son Stacey Wilson (pictured together at a press conference Friday night), the teen's father, called to break the news
Jovan Wilson was shot in the head after two teenagers broke into his home (pictured after the shooting) in the Englewood neighborhood around 6.45pm
'It's almost, just the way it is. People think nothing of it,' said Davis, who represents Illinois' 7th Congressional District which includes the neighborhood where his grandson was shot dead.
'Youngsters invariably say, 'I know a lot of guys who've got guns. I know a lot of girls who've got guns,'' he added.
'It becomes a part of the culture of an environment that has got to change.'
At the time of the tragic shooting, Wilson had been home at the time with his uncle, 16-year-old sister and two brothers, aged 14 and eight, according to the Chicago Tribune.
His mother had left to pick up food when the shooting occurred.
Of the horrific shooting, the congressman who was just re-elected to his 11th term this month, called the murder 'unbelievable'.
'He was a typical 15-year-old,' Davis said of his grandson. 'He liked basketball and music. All those kinds of things. He was an avid sports fan, he knew all about the stats of different players.'
Distraught relatives could be seen comforting each other outside the home on Friday
One of the boy's relatives was in tears as she stood outside the crime scene in the Englewood neighborhood. The shooting occurred at 6.45pm on Friday
Davis said the family had talked to Wilson about staying home and out of trouble at night and yet it wasn't enough to keep him safe.
'Unfortunately, here he was in the house, minding his own business, and some intruders would come and snuff his life away,' the congressman said.
Davis had been in his office when his son Stacey Wilson, the teen's father, called to break the news.
'Immediately I simply left and came out to the area where it had taken place,' Davis said. 'It's totally disconcerting.'
The congressman and family members arrived at a local police station around 9.30pm on Friday night to speak with investigators, according to ABC News.
Davis said he planned to continue his work to fight to get 'guns off the street' and out of the hands of those who shouldn't have firearms.
Authorities said two teenagers, a 15-year-old boy and 17-year-old girl, forced their way into the home and began arguing with Wilson over a pair of gym shoes before the shooting occurred
'One cannot help but ask the question, where did the gun come from? How did a 15-year-old obtain it?' he said during a press conference.
'Those are questions we may never know the answers to.'
But the congressman, first elected to the US House in 1996, also had sympathy for the teen who killed his grandson.
'I do know that I grieve for my family,' the congressman said during a press conference. 'I grieve for the young man who pulled the trigger.'
'I grieve for his family, his parents, his friends, some of whom will never see him again.'
Davis said the murder was also further evidence that there were an 'awful lot of people in Chicago who are in need of help', especially the city's teens.
'This is a problem we are confronted with every day,' he said. 'I have dealt with it for many years, I have spoken at many funerals for young people.'
The congressman said it was important for the city's schools to be improved so that Chicago's teens would be 'busy and engaged' in recreation and job activities.
'We [must] improve opportunities for young people so that they grow up with not as much anxiety.'
'So they can grow up without thinking that the only way to resolve an issue or solve a problem or dispute or conflict is to pull out a weapon'
Davis, who said he 'always knew' that Chicago's gun violence may hit close to home, but was devastated he would not be able to watch his grandson grow up.
Davis said the murder was also further evidence that there were an 'awful lot of people in Chicago who are in need of help', especially the city's teens
Davis said he planned to continue his work to fight to get 'guns off the street' and out of the hands of those who shouldn't have firearms
'Jovan had just reached a point, his grades had improved at school,' the congressman said.
'His father had just told me about how proud of him that he was because he was catching on and realizing that all of his life was in front of him.'
U.S. Sen Mark Kirk sent his condolences to the family. The Republican issued a statement Saturday saying 'no family should have to experience the tragedy of losing a loved one to gun violence.'
The shooting occurred in an impoverished neighborhood, which Kirk says he has visited many times while working with Mothers Against Senseless Killings. He says that 'we must continue to work together to protect our children'.
Chicago has seen a dramatic rise in the number of shootings and homicides, with August being the deadliest month in the city in two decades.
There have been 673 homicides so far this year, including the fatal shootings of the cousin of Chicago Bulls basketball star Dwyane Wade, a Chicago police officer's son and the son of a famed percussionist.
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