Murder case is ‘going to take some sorting out,’ attorney for accused woman says

The attorney for a 26-year-old woman charged with shooting her boyfriend earlier this week said he believes there is more to the case than meets the eye.

For one thing, he believes a second gun allegedly found at the apartment could absolve her.

Shanice Page faces a charge of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Chaseton London Walker on Tuesday afternoon at their apartment in the 6500 block of South Carpenter, according to authorities.

Prosecutors mentioned finding only one gun in the apartment when Page appeared for a bail hearing Friday afternoon at the Leighton Criminal Court Building — and they accused Page of hiding it under a couch after shooting Walker.

Officers responded about 1:45 p.m. that day and found Walker shot in the chest, according to Chicago police. He was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead within the hour.

Page, pregnant with Walker’s child, initially told investigators Walker had gone to the store and collapsed when he returned home, prosecutors said.

Police recovered the 9mm handgun under a couch in the living room and a female witness, who is romantically involved with both Page and Walker, told an officer she saw Page shoot Walker following an argument, prosecutors said.

Page’s attorney, Michael Petro, said Page has a Firearm Owners Identification card and is licensed to carry a concealed weapon. Additionally, he said, she was 17-weeks pregnant and a model mother to her other young child.

Petro painted Walker as a man known to be violent. On the day of the shooting, Petro said, Walker had picked up Page’s dog and thrown it against a wall at their home, severely injuring it; that led to the argument they were having when the shooting occurred.

Court records show Walker was convicted of attempted murder in 2009. He was released on parole in November while serving a 12-year sentence at Dixon Correction Center, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Prosecutors said the argument stemmed from Page’s anger that Walker and their third partner had taken Page’s keys when they went to the store that day.

During an argument after the pair returned home, Page pulled out a gun and pointed it at Walker; he pushed Page onto the bed, was able to “subdue” her, “then left the room,” Assistant State’s Attorney Taylor Railsback said.

Page went to a dresser “where she keeps her gun” and “grabbed something” before following Walker out of the bedroom, Railsback said. The witness “heard noises immediately after” and walked out of the bedroom to see Page holding a gun and Walker slumped over and holding his chest about 12 feet from where Page was standing.

Walker, Railsback said, had nothing in his hands.

The female witness called 911 and began chest compressions while waiting for the ambulance, prosecutors said. Page allegedly said she “knew she was going to jail” and asked the witness “what they were going to tell police.”

The witness didn’t immediately tell police what happened, Railsback said. Later, though, she recognized an officer on the scene as one of her former teachers, and confided in him.

Railsback said Page tested positive for gunshot residue, and the witness tested negative.

Reached Friday night, Petros said someone had “leaked” to him that police recovered a second gun from the house and said Walker had a gun “at least just prior” to the shooting.

“This is my client’s very first arrest and this guy just got out of prison,” Petro said. “She has a good job. She has a family.”

Petro said he was surprised Judge Stephanie Miller ordered Page held without bail.

“I think it’s just one of those cases. It’s going to take some sorting out,” Petro said.