A Chicago man confessed to a local pastor before turning himself into police for a shooting over the weekend along a "Safe Passage" route.
Lamont Grant, 34, of the 2900 Block South State Street, appeared in court Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery, police said. He was ordered held without bond.
Police said Grant, who has a history of weapons offenses dating back to 1998, was positively identified as the man who shot two men around 6:45 p.m. Saturday near 29th and State Streets. A 25-year-old man was critically injured in the shooting, police said, and 54-year-old Ralph McNeal was killed.
The murder made headlines because it happened along a Chicago Public Schools "Safe Passage" route where children will walk to school in less than two weeks.
The pastor who coordinated the confession said Grant felt bad about the shooting and was worried about his three children.
"He was really distraught about what happened," Pastor Corey Brooks told NBC Chicago. "He wanted to make sure he turned himself in so he wouldn't bring any danger to his family or to his children."
Grant has family members who go to Pastor Brooks' New Beginnings Church and they reached out to him Monday afternoon.
"There are people who do things and they do still have a conscience," Brooks said. "They do still have remorse and when they reach that point it's good for them to have someone they can go to and turn to."
Pastor Brooks said Grant wanted to make an anti-violence video to get the message out to others that this violence needs to stop.
