Alleged lookout during murder at Humboldt Park gas station held on $500,000 bail

A 28-year-old man was ordered held on $500,000 bail Thursday for his alleged involvement in a deadly shooting at a Humboldt Park gas station last month.

Tyrone Murray helped block traffic, allowing 21-year-old Jamil Williamson’s killer to escape after the Aug. 28 murder and later set the shooter’s car on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence, Cook County prosecutors said.

Williamson was sitting in his car around 8:30 p.m. that night after pulling into a Shell station, at 901 N. Pulaski Ave., when his killer, dressed in a hoodie and mask, got out of a stolen Kia Optima, walked up to Williamson’s car and opened fire, prosecutors said.

After the shooting, the gunman got back into the Kia and sped away while Murray used a white van to block traffic before following the Kia, prosecutors said.

Williamson was shot multiple times, including in the head, and died at Stroger Hospital a short time later. A 20-year-old passenger in Williamson’s vehicle was also wounded, but he survived.

Chicago police

Murray had allegedly gone to the gas station just before the shooting, parked and walked around for a few minutes, before driving away. Video surveillance at the business did not capture Murray’s face, but his clothing and his van were clearly visible, prosecutors said.

Other surveillance cameras tracked the Kia and van to a West Side alley, where the Kia was left, prosecutors said.

The following morning, Murray was seen on video at another gas station with the same van he was in at the time of shooting, prosecutors said. He then allegedly went to another gas station and purchased a gas can before driving back to the West Side alley where the Kia was. Murray drove the Kia to another alley and was captured on video carrying a gas can to the car, which was later found burning, prosecutors said.

Murray, on bond in a pending drug case at the time of the shooting, was arrested Monday, court records show.

Murray told detectives in a video-recorded interview that he agreed to act as a lookout during what he said was supposed to be gang robbery. But he denied knowing that his uncharged co-offender had a gun and was going to shoot Williamson, prosecutors said. Murray did allegedly admit to burning the stolen Kia.

Murray, of Austin, is facing first-degree murder, arson and obstruction of justice charges.

Murray’s defense attorney, Michael Krejci, noted that his client was not accused of being the shooter and had made the alleged admissions only after being in police custody for three days.

Judge Susana Ortiz recommended Murray placed on electronic monitoring if he is able to post bond

He is expected back in court Oct. 5.