A man charged with shooting two girls in the West Pullman neighborhood has been ordered held without bond Saturday after four witnesses identified him as the gunman, authorities said.
Jermaine A. Louis, 18, was charged with two counts of aggravated battery, according to police News Affairs.
The two girls, ages 12 and 13, were shot Tuesday evening near Cooper Park in the 1300 block of West 117th Street. Nikia Turner, 12, was shot twice in the stomach and Tishona Polk, 13, was shot in the buttocks.
Louis turned himself in to Area South detectives Thursday in connection with the shootings, police News Affairs Officer Ron Gaines said.
His family contacted anti-violence group CeaseFire Roseland through a lawyer to facilitate the surrender, said Bob Jackson, head of CeaseFire Roseland. Jackson said the man wanted to clear his name, as witnesses pointed him out as the gunman.
“The man was marked for death on the street and the family didn’t know where to turn to,” Jackson said, adding that family feared gangs would seek revenge and took refuge at a safe house since the shooting.
Police had been searching for suspects.
Police said the shooting was gang-related, but Jackson said the family of the man insists he is not affiliated with a gang.
