Tevin Lee, 18, charged in shooting death of Shamiya Adams

Craig Newman — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 09:51:54 -0500

Tevin Lee / Photo from Chicago Police

BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

Even before Tevin Lee fired at a group of boys in West Garfield Park, a friend told Lee the rival he hoped to punish wasn’t there, Cook County prosecutors said.

The Gangster Disciple didn’t care, later telling someone he “thought he shot one of those bitch ass n------,” Assistant State’s Attorney Robert Mack said.

But Lee, 18, didn’t wound any of the boys on the night of July 18, Mack said.

Instead, an errant bullet entered a nearby home where 11-year-old Shamiya Adams was preparing to make s’mores with her friends during a slumber party in the 3900 block of West Gladys Avenue.

Shamiya was hit in the right side of her skull and died the next morning.

Lee, a graduate of Crane High School, fired his gun in retaliation for a fight between two 14-year-olds earlier in the day, police said.

A boy had told Lee that he had been attacked and pushed off his bike by two others near the Gladys Avenue address, Mack said in court Friday.

The boy also told his brother, prompting the brother — also a Gangster Disciple — and a cousin to join Lee and the boy to a vacant lot where the group of youth had gathered.

Despite being told the people who attacked his friend were not there, Lee “drew a handgun and fired three to four shots,” Mack said.

Lee, of the 600 block of South Lawndale Avenue, allegedly admitted to someone that he had gotten rid of the gun and was later identified by several witness in a line-up and photo array.

An assistant public defender said Lee volunteers in an anti-violence group.

He also played basketball and football at Crane and was planning to attend Harold Washington College in the fall, defense attorney Kelly McCarthy said.

Judge Laura Sullivan ordered Lee held without bond.

Lee’s godfather, Wallace Bryrant, said he thinks another person involved in the fight pulled the trigger.

Shamiya Adams / Family photo

“I want to know the truth,” Bryant said following Friday’s court hearing.

Bryant said Lee lived with him but moved out to live with his mom in June because he didn’t want to follow his 9 p.m. curfew.

Lee has a tattoo of hands clasped in prayer on his left arm, according to a police report.

Tevin Lee | Homicide Watch Chicago

Tevin Lee, 18, charged in shooting death of Shamiya Adams