2nd teen charged with murdering retired CPD officer

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - A second teenager has been charged in last week’s fatal shooting of a retired Chicago Police officer.

This afternoon police announced the arrest of a 17-year-old boy in connection with the June 20 shooting death of 73-year-old Larry Neuman. The teen has been charged with first-degree murder.

The news comes four days after the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office filed murder charges against a 16-year-old Lazarius Watt.

Police have not yet released the name of the second teenage suspect.

He was arrested Thursday near 74th and Yates, in the South Shore neighborhood. According to police, he was previously charged last November in connection with a West Side armed robbery.

The 17-year-old will appear in court tomorrow.

“In a brazen and senseless act of violence, Larry’s life was taken from him by the very people he committed his life to helping,” CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling said Monday when announcing the charges of the first suspect.

Chief of Detectives Antoinette Ursitti said Neuman was paying a landscaper outside his home in the 4300 block of West Monroe Street when the two suspects approached him with guns drawn.

Neuman then pushed the worker “out of harm’s way” and pulled out his own gun, Ursitti said. The suspects then opened fire, striking Neuman as he fired back.

The video released by police led to “multiple anonymous tips” and gave detectives the identity of the teen who was charged, Ursitti said. An officer also recognized the teenager “from a previous encounter” in May, when the suspect was wearing the same outfit.

Ursitti said the 16-year-old turned himself in Sunday “with assistance from members of the community” and was positively identified as one of the shooters.

“The community assistance in this case was instrumental in the investigation,” Ursitti said, crediting a $75,000 reward offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the daytime killing.

Officials didn’t offer a motive, but Ursitti noted that a robbery task force was involved in the investigation.

WBBM’s Nancy Harty and the Chicago Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.

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