A Chicago teenager is facing first degree murder charges after fatally shooting his mother over the weekend.
Family members of 17 year old Davion Pryor, who is being tried as an adult, attended the hearing at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse. They requested not to be filmed and mentioned that Pryor has been diagnosed with a mental health condition and is receiving treatment.
According to prosecutors, just before 4 p.m. on September 19, Pryor’s parents were arriving at their South Shore home after picking up his 7 year old brother from school.
Prosecutors allege that as Pryor’s mother was unlocking the door, he was waiting on the other side and shot her in the head and body at close range. They added that the father and brother heard additional gunshots as they rushed outside to call 911.
Police reportedly found a 9mm handgun and 12 shell casings next to the mother’s body. She was taken to the hospital but later died from her injuries.
Pryor turned himself in hours after the shooting and now faces first-degree murder charges. Prosecutors noted that he has two ongoing juvenile cases—one for carjacking and another for aggravated battery—and was under home confinement at the time of the incident.
Pryor’s defense team acknowledged that it is a murder case but argued that there is no cause for societal concern since it involved a family situation. They proposed that he should be placed on electronic monitoring.
Prosecutors contended that the teen’s actions posed a risk to the community. Judge Kelly agreed and ordered him to remain in custody.
Pryor is scheduled to return to court on September 27, while his juvenile cases are set for October 3.
