May 12, 2007 6:02 pm US/Central
Police Hold Person Of Interest In Bus Shooting
Mother of Deceased Student Looking For Justice
STNGWire contributed to this report.
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Blair Holt, 16, died of a gunshot wound after he pushed another student out of harm's way.
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A 16-year-old boy was killed and four others were injured when a gunman opened fire aboard a CTA bus Thursday.
CBS
Police are talking to a person of interest in the deadly shooting on a CTA bus that took the life of a 16-year-old honors student, as CBS 2's Rafael Romo reports.
Chicago Fire Department Capt. Annette Nance-Holt says justice needs to be served. She's the mother of 16-year-old Blair Holt, gunned down inside a CTA bus on Thursday allegedly by a teenager of the same age.
"Yes, he should be charged as an adult. He made a decision. I hear he had a glock," she said. "How do you get a glock? Yeah, you know what you were doing. You're 16; you're old enough to make the right decisions."
Four other teens were wounded in the shooting. The bus was packed with high school students from nearby Julian High School. The gunman got on the bus around 3 p.m. at 103rd and Halsted streets and opened fire.
"You took somebody's life so if you did an adult act, you have an adult sentence for that," said Nance-Holt. "That's what you should get and maybe, he can be rehabilitated."
The suspect is still in custody at Area 2 Headquarters Saturday afternoon where he is being questioned by detectives.
Police also say the shooting on the 103rd Street bus was gang-related, but none of the five victims, including Holt, was the intended target.
A wall full of trophies at Holt's home tells the story of a young man who was taking honors classes and had a very promising future.
His father is a Chicago Police officer.
"This is the story about a young, black man who could change the world, who could change a lot of things, and who people looked up to," said Nance-Holt.
Holt was hailed as a hero who was killed while trying to save another student. Victim 16-year-old Tiara Reed's father says Holt was shot point blank after he pushed Tiara out of the way.
His mother, Chicago Fire Department Captain Annette Nance-Holt says her son's heroism doesn't surprise her.
The other shooting victims, including Reed, are recovering from their wounds.
Ironically, it appears the intended target of the shooting escaped harm after the suspect exited the bus and fled on foot.
Police said they likely knew who the shooter was shortly after the incident. Sources tell CBS 2 he is a former student from Julian who was expelled last fall and a gang member who regularly confronted other gang members outside the school.
CPS officials said the 103rd Street corridor is notorious for gang activity. Police patrols and security were stepped up the following day.
Mayor Daley says the deadly bus shooting unerscores the need for rougher gun laws. At a Saturday event, he called on Congress to act.
"If they don't go after the gun runners, bringing guns not only into our cities but throughout the world, we're going to have more and more violence and innocent young people like this getting killed and seriously injured," he said.
The mayor says security is already tight on CTA buses. The entire fleet is equipped with surveillance cameras, which led police to a suspect in the shooting.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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