15-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting postal worker Octavia Redmond in West Pullman
A 15-year-old boy is accused of fatally shooting Octavia Redmond as she delivered mail in West Pullman on the Far South Side in July, Chicago police announced Tuesday.
The boy, whose name wasn't released, was arrested Monday in the 800 block of Walford Road in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and was extradited to Chicago, authorities said.
The teen, charged with felony first-degree murder, appeared in court Tuesday at the Cook County Juvenile Center and was ordered detained. His next court date is Nov. 1.
Area 2 detectives worked with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on the investigation and used police camera and private camera footage to track the teen's movements before and after the shooting, Chicago police said in a statement posted on X. Detectives also received an anonymous tip that helped identify the suspect.
During the time of the shooting, the boy was out on juvenile release during a pending attempted burglary case from February. The boy's father attended the hearing virtually and told the judge, "He just doesn't stay put," according to WGN-TV.
A warrant had been issued for the teen in the February case.
Octavia Redmond, 48, of Chicago, was killed while delivering mail on July 19 in front of a home in the 12100 block of South Harvard Avenue. The teen allegedly fired at her before fleeing in a waiting vehicle.
Redmond suffered several gunshot wounds, including to her chest. A police report said she had 26 gunshot wounds in her body.
“The safety and security of Postal Service employees and customers is core to the mission of the Postal Inspection Service,” Ruth M. Mendonça, inspector in charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, said in a statement.
"When members of our postal family are targeted, postal inspectors will not rest until justice is delivered on behalf of the victims, their families, and our postal community," the statement said. "This arrest is the first step in securing justice for Mrs. Redmond. We hope this brings the Redmond family some semblance of relief."
According to coworkers, Redmond was a mother and grandmother who had worked for the U.S. Postal Service for at least five years. She was married to a fellow letter carrier, the coworkers said.
U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., said in a statement the "senseless act of violence has shattered the hopes of two families." While commending law enforcement for arresting the suspected gunman, Jackson said he recognizes the alleged shooter is "a 15-year-old boy whose innocence was taken much too early in his young life.
"Now, he faces a harsh reality for many years to come," Jackson said. "We must use this moment to address the underlying causes of violence in our city and nation, and we must take immediate and comprehensive steps to improve the safety of our U.S. Postal Workers, ensuring that such a tragedy never occurs again.”
Fellow letter carriers held a rally after her slaying to seek justice and highlight violence against postal employees. More than 140 letter carriers in Chicago have been attacked on the job over the last two years, according to Elise Foster, president of the local letter carrier union that represented Redmond.
Letter carriers have been the target of robberies and violence for years, most recently for their master keys that open all collection boxes. Criminals have been using those keys to steal mail and rewrite checks to themselves.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is still offering up to a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of anyone else involved in the murder.