By JEFF MAYES and JACOB WITTICH
Chicago Sun-Times
Eshunte Mayfield | Facebook
Two people have been charged in what police called an “accidental” shooting that left 16-year-old Amundsen High School cheerleader Eshunte Mayfield dead Sunday evening in the Woodlawn neighborhood on the South Side.
Joshua Baker, who lives in the same block as the shooting, was charged with one felony count of obstruction of justice for destroying evidence, according to Chicago Police. It was unclear what evidence Baker was accused of destroying.
The second person, a 16-year-old girl whose identity was not released, was charged with a felony count of involuntary manslaughter, police said.
Joshua Baker | Chicago Police photo
Mayfield was shot at 6:57 p.m. when the 16-year-old girl, who police said was Mayfield’s “acquaintance,” was handling a gun inside an apartment in the 6600 block of South Marquette, and it accidentally fired.
Mayfield was struck in the eye and was pronounced dead at the scene less than 30 minutes later. The Cook County medical examiner’s office initially identified her as Eshani Mayfield, but the school’s website listed her as Eshunte.
A police car is seen in the 6600 block of South Marquette on Sunday evening, where a 16-year-old girl was accidentally shot to death by an acquaintance, Chicago Police said. | Jon Seidel/Chicago Sun-Times
The girl who was handling the gun when it fired was immediately taken into custody, police said. Baker was inside the house at the time and turned himself in at the Wentworth Police District Headquarters about 10:10 p.m.
Both were scheduled to appear in bond court Tuesday.
In a note to students, staff and parents of Amundsen, principal Anna Pavichevich wrote: “It is with deep sadness that we inform you about a recent loss to our school community. Eshunte Mayfield passed away last night. Our thoughts are with her family during this difficult time.”
The Chicago Public Schools’ Crisis Management Unit was at Amundsen on Monday “to provide grief counseling and support to students and staff members. These individuals will be in the building over the next several days to assist our school community,” Pavichevich wrote.
Mayfield lived in the Uptown neighborhood on the North Side.
An autopsy Monday found she died of a gunshot wound to the head, and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.
A source said four teens were in the apartment at the time, two boys and two girls.
“We are saddened by this loss and will do everything we can to help …,” Pavichevich wrote.