Teen pleads guilty to murder in deadly shooting outside Benito Juarez high school in 2022
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A teen entered a guilty plea and was sentenced in the deadly December 2022 shooting outside Benito Juarez Community Academy.
On December 16, 2022, police were called to the Pilsen school for reports of shots fired. The shooting happened just as classes were letting out, sending staff and students scrambling for cover inside the building.
Police said four teens were shot outside the school. Two teen boys, aged 14 and 15, were shot in the head and died. Another 15-year-old boy was shot in the thigh and shoulder, and a 15-year-old girl suffered a graze wound to the thigh.
The two students killed were identified as 15-year-old Brandon Perez and 14-year-old Nathan Billegas. Perez was a student at Juarez, while Billegas was a freshman at Chicago Bulls College Prep.
The shooter, who was 16 at the time, was charged with two felony counts of first degree murder, two felony counts of attempted murder, one count of aggravated discharge of a weapon on school grounds, one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and four counts of unlawful use of a weapon. He was charged as an adult.
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On Monday, Christian Acevedo pled guilty on two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
Acevedo was sentenced to 20 years on each murder count and to serve at least 85% for the attempted murder charge. He will serve 46 years consecutive years.
Since the shooting students have held walkouts to protest the violence, and the victims' families have accused Chicago Public Schools of not taking enough action in the wake of the shooting.
School leaders said they are working to address what students call violent gang culture in and around the school.
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Police said they aren't sure of the motive but are investigating whether it was gang-related.
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