‘Mixed emotions’ for shooting victim Dakotah Earley after 2nd man charged in Lincoln Park robbery

Dakotah Earley, the culinary student shot three times during a robbery in Lincoln Park, feels “mixed emotions” after a second man was charged in the May 2022 attack, his mother said Tuesday.

“We are happy that this individual has been removed from our streets and will be held accountable for his role in the shooting,” his mother, Joy Dobbs, said in a statement. “But it is also very hard for us to relive that day again.”

The second suspect, who was 17 at the time of the May 6, 2022, attack, is charged with attempted murder and armed robbery.

The Cook County state’s attorney’s office declined to release details of the case against the man, citing privacy concerns because he was being charged as a juvenile. A court spokeswoman said he was ordered held in custody after a hearing before a Juvenile Court judge.

Another suspect, Tyshon Brownlee, 20, was arrested about a week after the shooting and faces the same charges.

The two are accused of robbing Earley, then 23, of his phone after confronting him as he walked on a sidewalk at Webster and Wayne avenues around 3 a.m.

Earley was shot as tried to defend himself during a struggle with Brownlee, Cook County prosecutors said. Then he was shot another two times.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Earley spent four months in the hospital, undergoing several surgeries, including a partial leg amputation, according to his family. His jaw was wired shut as doctors treated his wounds, and he could not speak for two months.

In a phone call Tuesday morning, Dobbs said her son continues to recover from the two gunshot wounds to his back and one to his head. He still uses a wheelchair and continues physical therapy.

He remains “optimistic” despite his setbacks, Dobbs said.

Earley recently vacationed with his family in Georgia, his mother said.

“He’s still the nicest person you’ll meet,” Dobbs said. “Even after finding out the other person was caught, he was not angry or bitter about that.”

Dobbs said police have not told her whether they’re still searching for suspects.

In February, Earley filed a federal lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department alleging the department’s new pursuit policy hindered officers’ efforts to arrest the suspects for another crime before the attack on him.

Police had called off the pursuit of a stolen BMW linked to Brownlee about an hour before the robbery and shooting, according to an attorney representing Earley.

Contributing: Matthew Hendrickson