The Chicago man who was charged in connection to the road rage shooting on Lake Shore Drive that left a 22-month-old child critically hurt earlier this month was ordered to remain in jail without bail, according to court officials.
Deandre Binion, 25, appeared in Central Bond Court Friday on three counts of attempted first degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm.
Binion, who was arrested by Chicago police Tuesday, is accused of perpetrating the shooting that took place on Lake Shore Drive on April 6. According to prosecutors, the incident began when the defendant tried to get around the victims' car, but was stopped by a merging lane.
At that point, the driver of the victims' vehicle, JuShawn Brown, 43, leaned out of the window "and told the defendant to back off and that he had a child in the car." After Binion drove into a lane next to the victims' vehicle, Brown observed a gun in Binion's hand, according to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.
Binion dangled the gun toward the victims' car at which point Brown picked up a handgun he had below his feet and "displayed it to the defendant before putting it on his lap," court documents stated.
Binion then allegedly fired shots four to five shots at the vehicle, striking Kayden Swann, now 22 months old, in the head. The vehicle Kayden was riding in then crashed, and Binion allegedly fled the scene.
Kayden was taken to a local hospital by a Good Samaritan, and was later transferred to Lurie Children’s Hospital, where he was put into a medical coma.
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According to prosecutors, detectives were able to get a license plate from the defendant's vehicle through a license plate reader on the Interstate 90/94 Expressway. The vehicle was rented by Binion's girlfriend from Enterprise Rental and did not contain any shell casings, bullets or firearms and no bullet holes, documents stated.
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Following a search warrant, Binion's gun was recovered from the home of his girlfriend's mother, prosecutors stated. That gun matched shell casings found at the scene, officials added.
His next court date has been scheduled for April 30.
Kayden has since made “remarkable progress,” according to physicians at Lurie’s, and is no longer in intensive care. Dr. Marcelo Malakooti, in his last update, said that the boy could potentially be released from the hospital “very soon.” Kayden will need to be moved to a rehab center, according to information provided by prosecutors Friday.
Brown, the driver of the vehicle Kayden was riding in, was previously charged with unlawful use of a weapon in connection with the case. Prosecutors say he did not have a valid FOID card or concealed carry card at the time of the shooting.
