The father of seven-year-old Jaslyn Adams, who was fatally shot while in the car at a McDonald’s drive-thru, joined the WGCI Morning Show to speak out.
Jonte Adams countered rumors circulating social media that he had provoked an attack from local enemies before going out with his daughter in the car.
“I know it’s people out to hurt me, but that day, no,” Jonte said when asked if he knew people were allegedly looking for him to hurt him. “What you have to understand about me, I joke,” the 29-year-old said, referring to rumors that he had posted on Facebook that he knew people were after him. “Like they say, the tongue is a powerful thing, and so I guess I actually spoke something into existence,” he said while fervently denying that he’d triggered anyone on April 18 when his daughter was shot.
Jonte acknowledged the risk he took when picking his daughter up to get McDonald’s and said he tried to get the food delivered to her, but went to her instead because she wanted to see him.
“My baby wanted to see me,” he said. “As far as my actions or my past, maybe have something to do with it but I’m not holding myself accountable for [her death] for being a father.”
“I was [being] a father the day my daughter died,” he added, “and that’s all I remember me being.”
“Everything that they’re saying out there is false,” Jonte continued. “I hold myself accountable for making stupid decisions when I was younger, but not for being a father.”
Officials in Chicago arrested an 18-year-old on Saturday (April 24) in connection with Jaslyn’s death, CNN reported. Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said the department is filing a dozen criminal charges against Marion Lewis including first-degree murder, though they did not say whether Lewis was the person to fire the fatal shots that killed Jaslyn.
“We are saying at this point in the investigation that he was involved in the murder of Jaslyn Adams,” Brown said. “That’s our specific statement.
Lewis is also facing three counts of attempted murder, robbery, and aggravated vehicular hijacking.
Photo: Getty Images