Three teenagers have been charged with beating to death 16-year-old Derrion Albert, an "innocent bystander" who walked into the middle of a street fight between two groups of feuding teens last Thursday, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said the fight -- with teens punching and kicking and swinging two-by-fours -- was related to a shooting outside Fenger earlier that day.
Charged with first-degree murder are Silvonus Shannon, 19, Eugene Riley, 18, and Eric Carson, 16, according to the Cook County state's attorney's office. All were charged as adults and all were ordered held without bond today.
At the teens' bond hearing this afternoon, a Cook County prosecutor said Albert was beaten by teens from both sides of the feud, which simmering rivalry between two groups of Fenger students, one that lived near the school and the other from the Altgeld Gardens housing development.
Carson, who was allegedly from the faction near Fenger, was the first to hit Albert with a railroad tie, according to Assistant State's Atty. Jodi Peterson.
As Albert struggled to stand up and escape the melee, Riley also hit him with a railroad tie and Shannon repeatedly stomped on his head, the prosecutor said. Both Riley and Shannon allegedly belonged to a separate faction that lived in or near Altgeld Gardens.
Records showed Carson is on probation for a robbery conviction. Shannon and Riley have no criminal records.
Police said that an amateur video helped detectives identify the participants in the melee outside the Agape Community Center, 342 W. 111th St. That video was provided to Fox affiliate WFLD-Ch. 32., which turned it over to detectives Friday night. Fox said it paid its typical freelance fee of about $300 for exclusive rights to the video.
The video shows dozens of people punching, kicking and swinging planks in a melee in a lot next to the community center and the adjacent street. At one point, four or five males -- including one wielding a two-by-four -- can be seen beating and stomping another person, believed to be Albert, who had fallen to the ground.
As the attackers flee, the person with the camera and several others approached Albert and carried him into a nearby building.
"Derrion, get up!" a female voice pleaded.
This morning Chicago police lined up in a show of force outside Fenger as students trickled into the school at staggered intervals. Most arrived on foot wearing their standard uniform of khaki pants and black shirts.
Police patrolled the area in squad cars and staged a visible presence at the school's entrance.
"We want to provide reassurance to the public that there's a police presence and they can feel safe in the neighborhood and kids can feel safe at school," said Morgan Park District Commander Michael Kuemmeth.
Today was the first day Fenger has been open since the fatal melee that swept up Albert, an honor roll student. All Chicago public schools were closed Friday for a staff day.
A march and vigil for Albert outside Fenger, organized by his family, was held at 1 p.m. Originally, the vigil had been planned for Sunday, but Albert's family agreed to postpone it at the request of the Chicago Public Schools, said Albert's grandfather Joseph Walker.
Before the announcement of charges, Chicago Police spokesman Roderick Drew said investigators had identified several people from the video and were questioning four of them.
Albert's family was squeamish about watching the video and not all of them were able to watch it in its entirety.
"It hurt to watch," said LaTonia Williams, the teen's aunt. "It's one thing to hear about it and come up with your own theory of what happened. To see it is another thing. It gave us a real clear picture of what happened. That video was crucial."
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