Nationwide — Jeremy Herred Jr., an African American teen from Chicago, Illinois, who was shot by a former lifeguard over the summer, is slowly recovering after more than three months in the hospital. He is now paralyzed and uses a ventilator, but will soon begin rehabilitation.
In June, Jeremy, then 14 years old, went swimming with friends at Douglass Park pool. What began as a normal summer day ended in tragedy when shots were fired, leaving him critically injured. He was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the neck, while another teen, 15-year-old Marjay Dotson, died from his injuries.
The alleged shooter, former park district lifeguard Charles Leto, was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. Leto has pleaded not guilty, claiming he acted in self-defense. His next court appearance is expected soon.
After spending more than 100 days in a hospital bed, Jeremy is preparing to transfer to a rehabilitation facility. His father, Jeremy Herred Sr., said his son has shown small but meaningful progress.
“It still ain’t what we knew him before the situation, but we [are] grateful for the progress so far,” his father told ABC 7 Chicago. “Every step, every day, little wins, how he was when they brought him, just taking it day by day.”
The bullet damaged an artery and Jeremy’s C4 vertebrae, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. Despite the challenges, his parents remain hopeful and focus on celebrating each sign of improvement. They believe rehab will help him adapt to his new condition.
Jeremy’s classmates recently visited him and said he looked better than before. “It feels kind of good. He looked better and seemed better than when it first happened,” said his friend, Quinton Goins. Another friend, Rashiya Hood, added, “I hope that he gets better and he [is] able to get back to the things that he used to do. I know he’s not going to be exactly the same. I hope he’ll be able to do what he was doing.”
For now, Jeremy’s parents are focusing on one day at a time. His mother said he was tired but happy to see familiar faces. “Just taking it day by day. Still a long road ahead, but we’ll take this,” his father said. “For now, we’ll take this.”