“Jai’Mani’s life was taken away”

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of 7-year-old Jai’Mani Amir Rivera, Chicago police announced Friday.

The teenager was charged with two separate counts of first-degree murder and two counts of warrant violations, Superintendent Larry Snelling said during an evening news conference at police headquarters.

“For the past three days, the Area 3 homicide detective team working on this case has been fully focused on bringing justice to Jai’Mani and his family,” Snelling said.

“Jai’Mani’s life was taken from him,” Snelling added. “For what? There is no excuse for this violence.”

The teenager was arrested Thursday at his home in the 1800 block of West Monroe Street by CPD officers and members of the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force. He is expected to make his first court appearance on Saturday, according to police.

CPD Chief of Detectives Antoinette Ursitti said a gun was recovered during the arrest, but it was not the one used to kill Jai’Mani. Ursitti confirmed the boy was shot with a rifle, about a dozen of which were recovered at the crime scene Tuesday.

Jai’Mani was shot about 3 p.m. Tuesday in the 2300 block of West Jackson Boulevard as he left his family’s apartment to visit a next-door neighbor, officials previously said.

Responding CPD officers applied chest pressure to the boy and took him in a police vehicle to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later, officials said. An autopsy found Jai’Mani was shot in the torso, and the Cook County Coroner’s Office ruled the boy’s death a homicide.

Dozens of family members and community organizers joined a peace march in the United Center neighborhood Friday afternoon, carrying signs that read “Please save the children” while chanting “Jai’Mani, we love you.” Jai’Mani’s mother stood in the front, surrounded by photographs of her son.

Joel Rivera, 10, described his cousin Jai’Mani as sweet, caring, very funny and always had a smile on his face. He said he was sad that he would never see him grow up and play football. As Joel held up a picture of his cousin with angel wings, he said he wanted people to “drop the guns”.

“I’m not feeling too well. It was a really shocking experience,” Joel said. “I’m really hurt and it’s hard to sleep at night.”

Ald. Walter Burnett, 27, also joined the walk, saying his heart goes out to Jai’Mani’s family. He said the community is “full of love” and that “love will overcome hate.” He also commended police for apprehending a suspect in the shooting.

“We have to keep trying to get guns out of kids’ hands and put something else in their hands — something positive and constructive from the community,” he said. “We constantly need more help from people in the community to contribute to the programs that run in these communities.”