Teens Charged with Death of 15-Year-Old in Attempted Robbery

Four teens have been charged with the shooting death of a 15-year-old police say was killed during an attempt to steal his coat on Chicago's South Side, police said.

Friends and family of the victim rallied on Sunday in honor of Demario Bailey, who was a sophomore at Johnson College Prep. Bailey was walking with his twin brother to basketball practice in the 0-100 block of West 63rd Street Saturday when four people approached him, demanded money and tried to take his jacket. One of the robbers then took out a gun and shot Bailey in the chest, killing him just days before what would have been his 16th birthday.

"Just knowing he's gone, it hurts," friend Keontay Thompson said.

Carlos Johnson, 17, was charged as an adult Sunday with one felony count of first-degree murder as well as felony counts for armed robbery and attempted armed robbery, according to police news affairs.

Isiah Penn and Deafro Brakes, both 17, and Tarik Brakes, 16, were also charged as adults Monday with two counts of murder and two counts of attempted armed arobbery.

Bailey and his twin brother are identical, and school officials say they sometimes had difficulty telling them apart. Bailey was not on the basketball team, but he attended every practice and every game to cheer on his brother, Thompson said.

"They're really just silly, goofy teenagers. Just genuine kids," said Garland Thomas-McDavid, the school's principal.

Counselors were available to the students at Johnson College Prep on Monday, and Thomas-McDavid gave a talk about grieving.

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