CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chicago Park District released its initial report on an investigation into last month’s deadly shooting at Douglass Park.
That internal investigation commenced the day following the June 26 shooting and discovered that then-Lifeguard Charles Leto, the suspected gunman, had various altercations at another park. However, these issues were never documented.
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Furthermore, other conclusions from the investigation highlighted “notable deficiencies in recording employee behavior, addressing escalating issues, and ensuring that staff were both supported and held accountable.”
Leto had just concluded his shift at the Douglass Park pool when he shot 15-year-old Marjay Dotson and 14-year-old Jeremy Herred. Dotson was killed, and Herred sustained critical injuries but survived.
Following the shooting, the 55-year-old Marine veteran was immediately suspended. He has since resigned and remains held on first-degree murder charges at the Cook County Jail.
In a report released on Tuesday, the park district says Leto passed two background checks and that a 2023 incident where Leto shot two dogs never turned up, because he was never arrested or charged.
The report also outlines at least five incidents involving Leto that required supervisors to take action during his two years as a lifeguard.
Those issues included incidents where Leto had conflicts with staff and park visitors at Gill Park on the city’s North Side before he was later transferred to Douglass Park.
“He got into verbal altercations with staff or with patrons over issues like a door or an item on the pool deck,” said Chicago Park District CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa.
However, none of those cases were formally documented, and there were no disciplinary issues found in his personnel file.
“That’s a problem… We want to make sure that when there are complaints against individuals, that those are being centrally tracked,” Ramirez-Rosa said.
The report revealed that while head lifeguard at Douglass Park in 2024, Leto filed numerous safety related complaints and that those concerned lingered into this year.
READ MORE | Lifeguard charged after teens shot at Douglass Park improperly brought gun to work, prosecutors say
Ramirez-Rosa says safety issues were not a valid reason for the shooting.
“Lifeguards are supposed to save children’s lives, not take them,” Ramirez-Rosa said. “In the days leading up to his heinous act, he did not make any complaints about public safety.”
The park district also outlined several security issues at the park and revealed a series of reforms that are either already in place or are in the works.
They include adding a permanent security presence at Douglass Park, expanding safety training and policy awareness, assessing park security cameras, and working to better track verbal disciplinary actions and patron complaints.
The families of the victims released a statement on Tuesday, saying, “The families of Marjay Dotson and Jeremy Herred appreciate the support of Park District officials and expediency of the Park District’s investigation into the shooter. Troubling questions remain as to how this individual avoided arrest in the 2023 Lakeview shooting that required a S.W.A.T. Team response. The Executive Summary outlines complaints from co-workers and patrons alike in April and May of 2025 that were red flags that Leto was emotionally unstable. In the end, those entrusted with protecting children at Douglas Park failed. There will be accountability for those responsible for this preventable and senseless act of violence.”
The park district CEO says the internal investigation is ongoing and that more reforms could come.
“Charles Leto is a murderer, and the Chicago Park District, we fully support his prosecution to the fullest extent of the law,” Ramirez-Rosa said.
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