(DailyChive.com) – Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has made headlines again, this time for her decision not to charge a Colombian migrant arrested for murder in Chicago. The 19-year-old, Juan David Ramirez-Olivo, was taken into custody last week after a tragic shooting that left a 17-year-old girl dead.
According to Chicago police, Ramirez-Olivo had an illegally purchased gun that went off in an apartment, killing Stephanie Lopez Ramirez. Initially, Ramirez-Olivo lied to the police, claiming he was from Venezuela, but he’s actually from Colombia. This lie didn’t help his case, but Foxx’s office still decided there wasn’t enough evidence to charge him with murder.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Ramirez-Olivo came to the U.S. under a parole program. ICE placed a hold on him after he was arrested for first-degree murder, but that didn’t stop Foxx’s office from dropping the charges. Instead of pursuing a murder case, they cited “insufficient evidence” to go forward.
The Chicago Police Department wasn’t happy with this decision. In fact, a police chief involved in the case thought at the very least, Ramirez-Olivo should be charged for having an illegal weapon. “Nobody thinks it’s okay to buy a gun off the street,” a police officer told Fox News. “He shouldn’t have had a gun in the first place.”
The shooting took place on October 1, when Ramirez-Olivo was with Stephanie in an apartment. The gun went off, hitting her in the arm and causing her death. Family and friends of Stephanie described her as a joyful, loving person who had a bright future ahead.
Ramirez-Olivo claims the shooting was an accident, but not everyone is convinced. Chicago police and Stephanie’s family are skeptical of his story. Still, Foxx’s office insists that, based on the evidence they were given, they couldn’t file charges. They left the door open for a review if new information comes to light.
Ramirez-Olivo has a history with the law, including a March arrest for carrying a deadly weapon.
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