Second Person Charged In Fatal Shooting of Retired Firefighter

CHICAGO — A second person has been charged in a deadly carjacking that claimed the life of a retired Chicago firefighter. First-degree murder charges were announced earlier Thursday for a 15-year-old boy.

Dwain Johnson, 18, of Gary, Ind., is facing felony charges of first degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon/possession, and unlawful use of weapon with a handgun. Police believe Johnson and the teen to be part of a crew that has carried out several carjackings in the city and south suburbs.

Both suspects are believed to be part of a crew that has carried out several carjackings in the city and south suburbs. The FBI Violent Crimes Task Force arrested Johnson Dec. 16 in the 15900 block of South LeClaire Avenue, Oak Forest, Chicago police said. Two more suspects remain at large.

On Dec. 3 just after 2 p.m. at 118th Street and Western Avenue in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood, retired CFD Lt. Dwain Williams, 65, was leaving Let’s Get Poppin’ when he was approached by four men in the parking lot. They demanded the keys to Williams’ Jeep Cherokee. One of the four suspects withdrew a gun and shot the retired firefighter in the stomach.

Williams pulled out his own gun and shot at his attackers, who fled west on 118th street in what turned out to be a stolen Ford Fusion, police said. The gravely injured firefighter was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he later died.

The Ford Fusion which had been reported stolen was found in Tinley Park.

“We saw what happened that day,” CPD Chief of Detectives Brandon Deenihan said. “Detectives figured out where the Ford Fusion was stolen from and worked with south suburban police to gather video from that indecent that led to other steals and other carjacking crimes that this crew was involved in.”

Deenihan said various south suburban police departments were familiar with the suspects from other incidents.

“Through evidence and technology, detectives were able to narrow it down to these four,” the chief of detectives said. “[Police] had arrest warrants for two people and and they arrested the 15-year0old responsible for this case, and a second suspect was taken into custody.”

The Chicago FBI and South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force said they arrested the teen Wednesday afternoon in the 400 block of West 16th Street, Chicago Heights.

Deenihan said law enforcement also executed a search warrant and found the teen to be in possession of a gun.

“The weapon was recovered, and we are testing it to see if it was used in [the attempted carjacking,” Deenihan said.

Chicago Police Supt. David Brown spoke of the extraordinary spike in carjackings throughout the city, but Chicago police have made 136 arrests so far in 2020.

“We have to make many more arrests. We’re not satisfied,” Brown said.

Since the retired firefighter’s tragic shooting, activists and community organizations have put up over $34,000 in reward money for information leading the arrests of the suspects. Last week, Let’s Get Poppin’, the store Williams had just left when he was confronted in the store’s parking lot, donated a portion of popcorn sales to the slain firefighter’s family.

The teen was due to appear for a hearing Thursday in Cook County Juvenile Court.

Johnson will appear for bond hearing Friday in the Leighton Criminal Courts Building at 26th Street and California Avenue.