A 19-year-old Chicago man charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old girl Friday afternoon outside a Southwest Side McDonald’s was ordered to be held without bond at his first court appearance Sunday.
Anthony Heredia, of the 4300 block of West 25th Place in Little Village, was arrested Friday shortly after allegedly shooting the girl in the back outside a McDonald’s in the 4300 block of West 26th Street, authorities said.
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The shooting victim, identified by the Cook County medical examiner’s office as Tierra Franklin, of the 3700 block of West Cermak Road, had allegedly thrown a cup of liquid at an employee through the drive-thru window of the restaurant, prosecutors said during Heredia’s bond hearing Sunday afternoon.
Heredia, who was allegedly called to the restaurant by an employee who recognized the girl from an altercation that happened at the restaurant the prior week, was outside when the incident occurred, prosecutors said. As Franklin was running toward a car in the parking lot, Heredia pulled a gun and fired twice, striking the girl once in the back, prosecutors said.
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The girl got herself to St. Anthony’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Heredia was identified by multiple employees of the McDonald’s and allegedly could be seen on surveillance video retrieving a spent casing from the scene, prosecutors said. The spent casing was found on his person when he was arrested a short time later at his home.
In ordering Heredia held without bail, Circuit Judge Susana Ortiz highlighted that he was able to acquire a gun at the age of 19.
“I will note here that we have a 19-year-old who can obtain firearms more readily that he can obtain a pack of cigarettes,” Ortiz said. “That’s something we may want to look at.”
Heredia lives with foster parents and is under the supervision of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Courtney Smallwood, said during the hearing.
Despite being encouraged not to say anything about his case, Heredia told the court, “I just want to apologize to the victim’s family.”
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
