By Michael Lansu and Rummana Hussain
A South Side man was ordered held without bond Wednesday for allegedly murdering a 33-year-old Iraq war veteran in a robbery over the weekend in the South Chicago neighborhood.
Telkia Burns was hanging out in the vestibule of his apartment building in the 9100 block of South Commercial with a friend talking and drinking beer when 18-year-old Devon Brunt started a fight with Burns early Sunday afternoon, Cook County prosecutors said.
At some point, Brunt pulled out a handgun and a loaded magazine before loading the gun and putting a round in a chamber in front of Burns and his friend, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Bridget O’Brien said.
Brunt then allegedly demanded Burns’ property. Burns gave Brunt his watch, cellphone and cash, O’Brien said. But Brunt wasn’t satisfied and demanded more, O’Brien said.
That’s when Burns tried to grab the weapon and the two were soon struggling, O’Brien said. Brunt allegedly ended up shooting Burns in the head and fled.
Burns, who lived on the block, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was declared dead about an hour later, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.
Brunt, the 9600 block of South Merrill, has a previous aggravated battery conviction as a juvenile and a pending weapons case.
He was allegedly identified in a photo array and lineup, prosecutors said.
Family members said Burns saw service in the Iraq war, Kuwait and Japan while in the U.S. Navy. They said he was studying youth counseling at Chicago State University.
Contributing: AP