Prosecutors said James A. Larry of Madison, Wis. came to Chicago in April 2010 bent on slaughtering his family because he felt “disrespected” that they would not join his Islamic religion.
“He was upset at his wife and their family,” Assistant State’s Attorney Jim McKay said. “It didn’t matter if they were young or old, pregnant or not. He wanted them dead.”
Larry pleaded guilty last month to multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.
He admitted fatally shooting his mother, Leona Larry, 57; his wife, Twanda Thompson, 19; his 7-month-old son, Jihad; his 3-year-old niece, Keleasha Larry; and his 16-year-old niece, Keyshai Fields, at a home in Chicago’s Marquette Park neighborhood.
He also shot his 13-year-old nephew in the face and fired at his 12-year-old niece as she fled the home, but they both survived.
Standing before Criminal Courts Judge James Linn in a tan jail jumpsuit, the bald, bearded defendant issued a short, quiet apology before the judge imposed the mandatory sentence.
“I’m sorry for what I did to my family,” Larry said. “I regret it every day and I pray for them.”
Several surviving members of the family stood at a podium and clutched one another as Larry spoke. The family members chose not to submit any victim-impact statements for the judge to consider and declined to speak outside court.
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