Crime & Law

Chicago Teen Faces Federal Charges in Killing of Ride-Hailing Driver

(WTTW News)

A Chicago teenager is facing criminal charges in federal court, three months after he allegedly shot and killed a ride-hailing driver during a carjacking.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment Thursday against 18-year-old Edmond Harris, charging him with one count of carjacking, one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of causing death through the use of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Those charges stem from the fatal March shooting of Javier Ramos in Chicago.

“Senseless acts of violence like the ones charged in this indictment have no place in our society,” U.S. Attorney John Lausch said in a statement. “The charges announced today are the direct result of a strong partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement in Chicago. We will not hesitate to prosecute violent carjackers to the fullest extent of federal law.”

The indictment does not detail the crime itself, but prosecutors alleged Harris carjacked a Lexus GS sedan from Ramos on March 23. During the carjacking, Harris allegedly brandished a firearm and fatally shot Ramos.

Chicago Police Department records show Harris was previously arrested for vehicular hijacking in a separate March incident, and for possessing a stolen vehicle in February.

“Carjacking is a threat to the safety of the community,” Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent-in-Charge Kristen deTineo said in a statement. “I pledge the continued full support of the men and women of the Chicago Field Division to work collaboratively with our law enforcement partners to investigate these crimes.”

If convicted, Harris faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of death, according to prosecutors.

Contact Matt Masterson: @ByMattMasterson | [email protected] | (773) 509-5431

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