(WTTW News)

A high school senior has been charged in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy in West Town after he allegedly attempted to rob the victim and others.

Tremell Neloms, 18, was denied bail during a hearing Thursday after he was charged with first-degree murder in the fatal Jan. 18 shooting of Rauner College Prep freshman Caleb Westbrooks.

According to Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy, Westbrooks and a group of friends had left the school around 12:15 p.m. that day due to an early dismissal, and were heading over to meet up with more friends a few blocks away at Golder College Prep.

As they waited outside, Neloms — who is a senior at Golder and was 17 at the time — exited that school and walked through the group Westbrooks was with, Murphy said.

After the two sets of friends met up, they began walking up West Superior Street as Neloms allegedly followed behind. When the parties got to the 800 block of North Greenview Avenue, Neloms approached the group and asked Westbrooks a question, Murphy said.

Neloms then allegedly turned away, pulled out a black firearm and pointed it toward the group, saying he was robbing them, Murphy said. When Westbrooks asked who Neloms was robbing, Neloms allegedly opened fire, striking Westbrooks three times in the stomach, chest and arm, Murphy said.

As both Neloms and the other members of the group began to flee, Neloms turned back and fired four more rounds, according to Murphy, though he did not strike anyone else. He then continued running back to Golder College Prep.

Two of Westbrooks’ friends came to his aid after the shooting, but he died of his injuries.

Caleb Westbrooks (Rauner College Prep Facebook)

“He loved to crack a joke and always brought positivity and light to his classmates and teachers,” Rauner College Prep said of Westbrooks in a social media post. “Caleb touched so many lives in his time as RCP.”

The entire incident — from Westbrooks and friends leaving their school to the shooting to Neloms returning to his school — was captured on various surveillance cameras, according to Murphy, though no audio was available of the shooting itself.

During Thursday’s hearing, Neloms’ defense attorney Stefan Fenner said that without audio, it’s difficult to explain what exactly precipitated the shooting.

But Neloms was identified on that video by a Golder school administrator who has known the teen for years, Murphy said, and one witness on scene also identified Neloms as the shooter in a photo array.

Murphy said he expects Neloms will be charged with additional charges of attempted first-degree murder.

He is due back in court March 9.

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