Get at least 6 FREE Stock Shares today

In a horrific incident that shocked Chicago, a local man faces grave charges including arson and murder. The man, 37-year-old Cordale Nichols, is facing harsh penalties after apparently launching a Molotov cocktail into a family home in Bridgeport, leading to a devastating inferno that claimed the life of a 54-year-old woman and left her 12-year-old granddaughter injured.

Nichols has been slapped with two counts of murder, attempted murder and aggravated arson. At around 2:30 a.m. on a Saturday in the 3100 block of South Green Street, it is alleged that Nichols tossed the deadly incendiary device through the window of a row home before fleeing the scene dressed in an inconspicuous all-black outfit. Local law enforcement and prosecutors present damning evidence against him: a surveillance camera video that allegedly captures him in the act of throwing the Molotov cocktail into the home.

What followed Nichols’ alleged act of malice was a scene of chaos and heartbreak that is hard to imagine. Prior to the arrival of firefighters, young heroes arose from neighboring residences. Two young boys, roused by the scent of smoke, rushed to the afflicted home and forced the door open. Their bravery and quick-thinking enabled them to rescue the 12-year-old girl trapped inside, but they were unable to save her grandmother, Charnette Walker, from the relentless flames.

Recounting the urgency and desperation of the life-or-death situation, one of the boys, Jayshawn Owens, said, “We tried to help the grandma. We told her to jump. She ain’t want to jump. So she said, ‘Go get my grandbaby from the back.'” Undeterred by the advancing inferno, the boys ran to the rear of the house, scaling gates to reach the bathroom window on the second floor. Another of the young heroes, Nova Miles, described the terrifying smoke-filled environment, stating, “When we got up in there, it was so much smoke we couldn’t even breathe.” Despite the suffocating and blinding smoke, the two boys were able to extract the young girl through the bathroom window. Tragically, her grandmother would not make it out.

The sight of the fire left a chilling impression on local residents, with neighbor Shareia Raymey commenting, “I’ve never seen a fire that bad in all of my years of living. It is terrible. It engulfed everything. Everything in that house is burned to a–burned, just burned. We’re devastated. We’re heartbroken. She’s been with her granddaughter by her side. Take good care of that baby.”

Following an extensive manhunt, Nichols was apprehended near 29th and Halsted Streets about 45 minutes after the fire broke out. In an insightful forensic clue, officers detected a strong smell of gasoline lingering on him when he was taken into custody.

In his initial court appearance on Monday, Nichols got a taste of the severity of his legal situation. A Cook County judge ordered him detained at Cook County Jail as he awaits his trial. Regardless of the court’s verdict, one thing is clear: this true crime case will serve as a chilling reminder of the devastating impact of arson and the bravery shown by everyday heroes in the face of unspeakable tragedy.

Get at least 6 FREE Stock Shares today