An Evanston man has been charged with murder and attempted murder in the April 21 shooting of three people on the Evanston lakefront following a “verbal altercation,” authorities said.
Jalen Murray, 20, of the 1600 block of Fowler Avenue, Evanston, was charged with felony first degree murder and two counts of felony attempt first degree murder for allegedly shooting and killing, Jacquis Irby, 18, of Skokie, and also shooting two 15-year-old Skokie residents with Irby at the entrance to Clark Street Beach on the Evanston lakefront shortly after 8 p.m. April 21 following a “verbal altercation,” police said in a release.
They said Evanston police responded to the 1800 block of Sheridan Road, Clark Street Beach, for a call of shots fired, and when officers arrived they located Irby, who was deceased and other two victims, both 15 year-old male residents of Skokie, who survived their injuries.
Detectives from the Evanston Police Department and North Regional Violent Crimes Task Force arrived on scene to investigate, and “their initial investigation revealed there were two small groups of people in a verbal altercation outside the entry to Clark Street Beach,” said the release.
It said the “altercation escalated, and Murray fired into the group containing the victims and the offenders immediately fled the area.”
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Nearby Northwestern University is close to Clark Street Beach and the school issued a shelter in place order for students and staff about 30 minutes after the shooting. School officials were criticized for not issuing the order sooner as initially in the confusion after the shooting some believed a random shooter may have been on the loose. Evanston police said their department didn’t issue a shelter in place order for the city because responding officers determined the shooting was not a random act.
On April 28, 2023 Evanston police arrested Murray in connection with Irby’s murder. The investigation revealed that Murray had “fired a gun during the altercation that resulted in Irby’s death,” the release said. It said the Cook County State’s Attorneys Office reviewed the investigation and approved felony charges for first degree murder and attempt first degree murder.
The investigation into Irby’s murder remains active and on-going, the release said.
Anyone with information about this investigation, is asked to contact the Evanston Police Detective Bureau at 847-866-5040 or Text-A-Tip to CRIMES (274637) and to start the message with EPDTIP.
Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.