Home of Washington Park shooting suspect destroyed by fire, accusers taken by DCFS

The home of a Washington Park man accused of pulling a gun on two small children and shooting three others was burned to the ground Wednesday night.

The Washington Park Fire Department was dispatched to 1527 N. 47th St. at 11:32 p.m., Chief Sharon Davis said. By the time firefighters arrived, the wood frame house ”was fully involved.”

“Flames were shooting through the roof,” said Davis. “It took approximately an hour and a half to get the blaze under control.”

The walls to the home are still standing, but Davis said it’s not safe. Hardly anything else is left.

Fifteen Washington Park firefighters were on scene. Davis said mutual aid was not called and there were no injuries.

The homeowner, however, remains at an area hospital as he recovers from four gunshot wounds he sustained in what police called a “bizarre” incident on Tuesday. His condition was not available as of Thursday. Police have not released the man’s name, pending charges related to the shooting.

Police were first called to his residence at about 9:37 p.m. Tuesday. Two young boys, ages 6 and 7, and a 12-year old were in front of the man’s house shooting off fireworks. The man exited the home, waving a gun at the children, Washington Park Police Chief Allen Bonds said.

The children flagged down a passing vehicle that police learned later was occupied by two brothers en route to their parents’ tire shop on the corner of 47th and Caseyville.

The older brother stopped and, after he heard from the children what happened, confronted the home owner.

The man began shooting at them, striking his 16-year-old brother multiple times, as was seated on the passenger side. He remains hospitalized and will be for more than a month, his father said.

The gunman then chased after the brothers’ car while continuing to shoot. The older brother, 24, ran inside the family business and told his parents the younger brother was hit.

The boy’s mother rushed out and hopped in the car and started driving her son to the hospital. She was met by an ambulance once she reached the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center on Argonne Drive in East St. Louis. As he went to investigate the source of the gunfire, the father was shot twice in the leg.

He declined a request for an interview, other than to say his son would recover.

The 12-year-old was treated and released from the hospital, Bonds said.

The alleged shooter was hit by return gunfire from the tire shop, Bonds said.

The two small boys who said the man threatened them are brothers, who were living alone in a nearby park, police said.

When their mother, Jamaica Burrell, arrived at the scene Wednesday night, she was “out of control,” police said. She was arrested, charged with neglect and later released, Bonds said.

Her sons were taken into custody of the Department of Children and Family Services, said Bonds.

Bonds said police were aware that the boys had been wandering around in the park and on the streets for a couple of days.

“We received the same information and they were seen in the park a couple of days ago,” he said. “They were homeless, staying from place to place.”