Two charged in Chicago shooting that injured 13

CHICAGO – Two men have been charged in connection with a shooting last week at a Chicago park that injured 13 people, including a 3-year-old boy, Chicago officials announced Monday night.

Authorities say Bryon Champ, 21, and Kewane Gatewood, 20, were charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm in the shooting Thursday at Cornell Square Park on Chicago’s southwest side. The suspects’ hometowns were not revealed.

Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said that while the two played significant roles in the shooting, neither is believed to have pulled the trigger.

“Chicago Police detectives continue to work tirelessly to solve this case and hold the criminals who committed this senseless act of violence last Thursday night responsible for their actions,” McCarthy said in a statement. “These charges are just the beginning, and this investigation remains ongoing at this time.”

Champ has previous weapons charges. He was convicted in July 2012 on charges of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and sentenced to Cook County Jail’s boot camp. Champ is a documented gang member, according to authorities.

Authorities say as many as three people opened fire Thursday on a basketball court in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Among those injured were 3-year-old Deonta Howard, who is recovering from surgery after being shot near an ear, along with two teenagers.

The assailants fired more than a dozen rounds from an assault-style rifle, police have said. They believe the shooting was gang-related.