Toddler Was Looking For Juice When He Found Unattended Gun And Shot Himself: Prosecutor

CHICAGO—A South Side man accused of leaving an unattended gun that was found by his girlfriend’s toddler son, who shot and killed himself, was ordered detained in a Cook County Jail following a pre-detention hearing.

Johnny Hughes, 31, appeared Tuesday at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on charges of possession of a firearm by a repeat felon, unlawful possession of a weapon, and endangering the life or health of a child.

Subscribe

The child was identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner as 2-year-old Jamonte Shaw. Jamonte was to have turned 3 years old next month.

The shooting unfolded around 12:41 p.m. Sunday in the 900 block of East 104th Street in the city’s Pullman neighborhood. The assistant state’s attorney said that the boy’s mother was in the kitchen with a 9-year-old sibling. Hughes was in the living room with another 4-month-old sibling asleep on the couch.

According to court documents, the 2-year-old boy found the 9 mm semi-automatic handgun with a laser sight hidden between layers of clothing in the apartment. The boy apparently found the gun and was in the living room when he accidentally shot himself.

The boy’s mother heard the shot from the kitchen. When she went into the living room, the boy was lying on the floor with a gunshot wound in his head. Jamonte was rushed to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The assistant state’s attorney said a single gunshot wound to the head and stippling suggested that the gun was fired at close range. Before police arrived, the gun had supposedly been moved to a closet.

Hughes had told his girlfriend that her son had shot himself and he was sorry, the assistant state’s attorney said. Hughes allegedly told police at the scene that he had been drinking the night before and that he had wrapped the gun in clothing and left it on the closet floor. Hughes said he believed the 2-year-old was looking for juice when he found the gun, as the juice is also stored in the closet, court documents said.

When police asked Hughes where he got the gun, he allegedly responded, “we purchased it.” Hughes was taken into custody at the scene. The assistant state’s attorney said Hughes did not have a valid FOID or CCL.

Hughes is currently on pre-trial monitoring for possession of a controlled substance resulting from an arrest on May 6.

He has past convictions for unlawful possession of a weapon, for which he served a 4-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Hughes also served concurrent 3- and 2-year sentences for unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and reckless discharge of a firearm.

In 2016, Hughes was given two years probation for aggravated fleeing and eluding, and a violation of probation resulting in two years in IDOC, as well as misdemeanor convictions for DWLS, retail theft and possession of a firearm without a valid FOID.

Hughes is due back in court June 16.