A mother is facing a murder charge after she allegedly encouraged her 14-year-old son to repeatedly shoot a man she was fighting with last weekend at a Far South Side restaurant.
Murder charges against a mother and her 14-year-old son, who authorities said was ordered by his mother to shoot a man at a Chicago restaurant, have been dropped, prosecutors announced Monday.
The Cook County State's Attorney's office said it reviewed the case against Carlishia Hood and her 14-year-old son and, "in light of emerging evidence," moved to dismiss charges against both.
"Based upon the facts, evidence, and the law we are unable to meet our burden of proof in the prosecution of these cases," a statement from the office read.
Hood, 35, and her teen son were facing murder charges following the incident, which took place at a Maxwell Street Express on the city's Southwest Side earlier this month.
Police had said Hood was in an argument with 32-year-old Jeremy Brown while waiting in line for food at the restaurant, located at 11656 S. Halsted St. Hood then reportedly texted her son and had him come to the restaurant as the argument turned physical.
Officials alleged Brown punched Hood in the head and Hood's son took out a gun, shooting Brown in the back, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
The teen continued shooting as Brown ran from the store, with both the teen and his mother following Brown into the parking lot.
Local
Prosecutors reportedly said Hood told her son to keep shooting Brown and kill him.
After the teen stopped shooting at Brown, his mother allegedly told him to shoot Brown's girlfriend, who authorities said encouraged Brown during the earlier altercation. Prosecutors also reportedly said Hood tried to grab the gun herself before her son shoved her off and the two fled the scene.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
Brown ultimately died from his injuries, police said.
The scene was captured on surveillance video (seen above), which was released by police and showed Hood ordering food and her son opening fire both in the restaurant and the parking lot before the pair left the scene. Additional footage started circulating on social media showing Brown repeatedly striking Hood prior to the shooting. (See that footage here.)
"If you say one more thing, I'm going to knock you out," Brown says in the video before striking Hood.
The footage ended with what sounded like a gunshot as Brown continued punching Hood.
Hood and her son surrendered to police on Wednesday and were arrested by authorities, Chicago police said.
They were both charged with first-degree murder and Hood faced an additional charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Prosecutors said Hood, who had no criminal background, also had a valid firearm owners identification card and a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
