16-Year-Old Shot 25 Times by Older Teen After Dispute over Orbeez Being Shot at Kid: Cops

A -year-old Illinois man is now facing a first-degree murder charge in the brutal shooting death of a -year-old boy near a playground The circumstance occurred in May when Jaquan Blalock then allegedly gunned down Antoine Shropshire in broad daylight Prosecutors say Blalock fired rounds at the teen using a handgun equipped with a switch and extended magazine a device that converts a semi-automatic into a fully automatic weapon The shooting happened near a park filled with adults and children making the act especially alarming for the society Prosecutors believe the violence was sparked by a conflict involving Orbeez toy guns toy weapons that shoot gel pellets and often resemble real firearms Source Local Dispute Over Toy Guns Allegedly Led to Killing According to court documents obtained by The Herald-News a neighborhood child had complained to Blalock that older teens were stealing Orbeez guns and using them against younger kids The documents say this complaint may have led Blalock to confront the teens responsible Older boys were taking their Orbeez guns from them and shooting them with their Orbeez guns prosecutors wrote in a court petition dated April The situation escalated rapidly ending in a violent shooting near the park Blalock along with another unidentified individual allegedly ambushed Shropshire Surveillance footage reviewed by government reportedly shows Blalock standing over the wounded teen and continuing to fire his weapon unloading his magazine into the boy s body as he lay on the ground Violence Caught on Surveillance and Aftermath The second suspect involved in the occurrence allegedly began firing at others nearby adding to the chaos and danger in the park area No additional injuries were announced but the brazen nature of the attack in a masses space with children present shocked the region and law enforcement alike Following his arrest Blalock was taken to the River Valley Juvenile Detention Center in Joliet While in custody he reportedly assaulted another detainee Prosecutors say that during questioning Blalock exhibited little remorse allegedly commenting that the killing was mob expletive and bound to happen Legal Proceedings and Pretrial Motions Blalock s defense attorneys have since filed a motion requesting pretrial release They have not commented publicly on the details of the episode or the alleged confession The court has not yet decided whether Blalock will be published before trial A Will County judge is scheduled to rule on the motion on April If convicted Blalock could face decades behind bars for the killing of Shropshire a teen whose life ended far too soon in a dispute that began over toy guns The situation continues to raise serious concerns about youth violence access to modified firearms and the tragic consequences of seemingly minor disputes escalating into deadly encounters