New details are emerging in the tragic case of Jonylah Watkins, the 6-month-old baby who was shot while her gang banging dad supposedly changed her diaper. The infant's wounded father, Jonathan Watkins, a street gang member who has been arrested 39 times, was released from the hospital yesterday.
Watkins stood before television cameras, portraying himself to be a distraught father who just lost his baby daughter.
But, according to loyal reader Trendsetter, who sent in the above photo, Watkins didn't appear distraught while in the hospital, where he was seen posing for photos and throwing up the peace sign (his hospital wristband is visible on his right wrist).
Also, police now say the infant wasn't shot multiple times while Watkins was changing her diaper. She was shot just once -- while sitting on Watkins's lap in the front seat of his van which was parked on the South Side of Chicago.
This lends credence to speculation that Watkins held the baby up as a shield as the killer opened fire during the drive-by.
Trendsetter writes:
"He’s in the hospital throwing the deuces sign like his daughter didn’t just die. And watching the news last night, he had a totally different demeanor than the picture displayed... he acted as if he was distraught, limping to the police station to give his statements. I smell bs... that’s just my opinion. Something isn’t adding up with this story..."
And there's more: The Chicago's Sun Times reports that Watkins is “unwilling to cooperate” with the police, according to a top police source.
“Watkins is giving the police just enough to seem to be cooperating,” the source told the Sun Times.
From Chicago Sun Times:
? Translation: “Watkins was unwilling to give police pass codes for two cellphones found at the scene of the shooting,” the source said. The pass codes might have led police to see who called Watkins before the shooting.
? The shocker: As a result, police had to send the cellphones to the FBI in Quantico, Va., to open them up — and have been unable to reach a Watkins family member who had earlier told reporters that Watkins “knew who shot him.”
“This person has been ducking the police for three days,” said the source.
In addition, contrary to earlier news reports — which garnered national headlines — the baby was not shot while Watkins changed her diaper, the source added.
“The baby was sitting in Watkins’ lap in the driver’s seat when she was hit by one bullet — not five — which wound up in her diaper,” the source said. “Tragically, one bullet caused a lot of damage and claimed the gift of her life.”
Watson was released Thursday evening from Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for injuries from the shooting.
A short time later — in response to reports that he was not cooperating with police — Watkins made a very public show of walking into the Area South police department late Thursday under the glare of television lights to talk to detectives investigating the case.
Watkins stood silently as the Rev. Corey Brooks, acting as the Watkins family spokesman, talked to reporters.
“Whatever the police need to know that he may know, we want to make sure that he fully committed himself to letting them know that,” Brooks said.
Update: According to a report published by CBS News just moments ago, Watkins is now cooperating with Chicago police:
"Every question that he's been asked, he has answered fully and completely," family spokesman Pastor Corey Brooks said. "If he knew who shot his daughter, and who shot him, he would have given them that name immediately."
The assailant is still at large.
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