18-Year-Old Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Shooting Chicago Police Officer’s Son
An 18-year-old man was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Thursday for shooting the son of a Chicago police officer during a botched robbery outside a Morgan Park bar in 2023. Kevin Ross, who was 17 at the time of the incident, opened fire at point-blank range after the off-duty officer’s 22-year-old son tackled him during the hold-up, according to prosecutors.
Ross pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and will have to serve at least 85% of his sentence before being eligible for parole, as mandated by Judge Diana Kenworthy.
His accomplice, 21-year-old Christopher Brooks, pleaded guilty in July 2024 to discharging a firearm during an attempted armed robbery and was sentenced to four years by Judge Maria Kuriakos-Ciesil. Records from the Illinois Department of Corrections indicate that Brooks was paroled in April 2025 after serving half of his sentence.
The incident took place around 1:45 a.m. on July 15, 2023, as the victim and a 20-year-old friend were leaving a bar near 106th and Western Avenue. Prosecutors stated that as they passed a parking lot at 110th Street, Ross approached them from behind wearing a ski mask and demanding their belongings at gunpoint.
During the confrontation, the victim, who was the son of a Chicago police officer, tackled Ross, leading to a struggle on the ground. Ross managed to break free and shot the man once in the chest from close range before fleeing to a waiting white Kia allegedly driven by Brooks.
Unaware that he had been shot, the victim and his friend started running down Western Avenue until he collapsed.
Investigators used license plate readers to track the getaway vehicle back to Brooks. A search of his home yielded six 9mm shell casings in his bedroom, which matched one found at the shooting scene, according to prosecutors.
Both Brooks and Ross later confessed to their roles in the incident. Brooks admitted to driving the getaway car, while Ross acknowledged carrying out the robbery. As part of his plea deal, prosecutors dropped the attempted murder charge against Brooks. Neither of the men had prior criminal records.
