Three people were arrested, including one juvenile, and charged with murder in the Aug. 2 shooting death of Davell Holden, 16, of South Holland.

Charges were filed against Javan Moore, 21, the alleged shooter, Demon Smith, 20, and a 16-year-old juvenile. All three are from neighboring Phoenix.

“I am more than beyond relieved to see a happy conclusion, to have three offenders who were successfully charged and held accountable for this heinous act,” South Holland police Chief Shawn Staples said Monday.

Holden, who would be a junior at Thornwood High School, was shot Aug. 2 in the 16000 block of Drexel Avenue.

“Disgustingly, this is a case of mistaken identity,” South Holland officials said village in a news release. “The victim, Davell Holden, happened to be visiting his girlfriend, who lived on the same street as where the actual intended target recently lived, and he closely resembled him in appearance. Now, an innocent and promising young man is gone.”

An intensive investigation followed Holden’s death, with the village partnering with Father Michael Pfleger of Saint Sabina Church in Chicago to offer a reward of $10,000 for information leading to arrest.

“Davell, at only 16 years old, was an outstanding young man. He was an athlete, a basketball player at Thornwood High School and an honor student,” South Holland Mayor Don De Graf said. “He was an innocent victim.”

Holden’s mother, Angela Birts, thanked investigators at a Monday news conference, and the wider South Holland community, for supporting her family.

“This is an excellent community. I still believe in our faith and future and family in this community,” Birts said.

South Holland Mayor Don De Graf speaks at a news conference Monday regarding arrests in the August shooting death of Davell Holde. (Evy Lewins/Daily Southtown)

Cook County Judge James Costello ordered both Moore and Smith held in pre-trial detention. Preliminary hearings for Moore and Smith were scheduled for Tuesday morning.

In the court order detaining Moore, Costello referred to the killing as “a cold-blooded execution of the minor victim,” noting the shooting took place in daylight in a residential area. He said electronic monitoring options were “not designed to mitigate dangers of (defendants) who plan and commit assassinations.”

Staples said the investigation is still open.

“There’s still a lot more information coming in,” Staples said. “It is the kind of case that as more information comes in, we’ll use that toward the case.”

The village has asked for anyone with more information relating to the case to call South Holland Police Department detectives at 708-331-3131, ext. 2.

De Graf said it did not appear the police had received any tips eligible to claim the $10,000 prize.

elewis@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/15/murder-charges-thornwood-high-athlete/