Two men have been accused in connection with the fatal expressway shooting, including one who was on pretrial release. Prosecutors said officers identified the gunman based on Instagram videos he posted about the murder within minutes of the shooting.
Tyjon Bush, 22, was shot and died while riding in the back seat of a car on the inbound Dan Ryan Expressway at 75th Street at 4:58 p.m. on July 11, 2024. According to prosecutors, investigators discovered that the gunman shot a firearm from a Chrysler 300, which they then identified and retrieved outside the residence of 30-year-old Demetrius Shields.
Shields was driving the Chrysler when the shooting occurred, according to prosecutors, who cited video footage. He was on pretrial release for a burglary charge at the time of the murder.
Tyler Perkins, 25, is accused of being the shooter who killed Bush. Illinois State Police detectives allegedly discovered Instagram videos of him carrying a Draco-style assault rifle inside a Chrysler 300 with Shields less than ten minutes after the shooting. According to ISP, the gun uses ammunition that is identical to what was seized at the shooting scene.
Investigators also discovered an Instagram Reel in which Perkins claimed the shooting was payback for Bush and another man in Bush’s car stealing a gun from him the night before, according to a CPD report. In another video, Perkins apparently laughed after addressing Bush’s death.
Three days after a court issued an arrest warrant for Perkins, investigators monitoring his Instagram profile discovered a new video in which he showed off his new attire while standing inside a Houston hotel room, according to the CPD report. Investigators from Chicago prepared for an FBI task group to apprehend him in Houston.
Perkins and Shields have both been charged with first-degree murder. Judge James Costello detained Shields, while Judge Mary Marubio detained Perkins.
Perkins is the 36th individual charged with shooting, killing, or attempting to shoot or kill someone in Chicago last year while on felony pretrial release. The instances include 52 individuals, 15 of whom died.