Man accidentally kills friend while grooving to song with gun in hand: prosecutor

Antonio Lampley was smoking marijuana in the back seat of a parked car and grooving to a song when the gun he was holding went off, fatally shooting the man in the front seat, prosecutors said Sunday.

It was at that moment that Lampley, 23, realized the gun he had been waving was not empty, said Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Akash Vyas. The incident took place Feb. 25 in a grocery store parking lot at 8331 S. Stewart.

Vyas said Lampley was “moving to the music” when the gun discharged a single round. The bullet went through the front passenger seat and lodged in the chest of Derrius Drakes, also 23.

Immediately after the shooting, Lampley hid the gun and moved Drakes to his truck before driving him to Roseland Hospital, where Drakes was pronounced dead, Vyas said.

While at the hospital, Lampley, who was intoxicated, gave police differing accounts of what happened, prompting detectives to perform a gunshot residue test on him, which came back positive in May, Vyas said.

Witnesses also told police Lampley accidentally pulled the trigger.

A judge ordered Lampley, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter, to be held on $200,000 bail.

Lampley, of the 11300 block of South Parnell Avenue, works as a greeter at Wal-Mart, according to court records.