A deputy police commissioner in Mount Vernon, New York, and her ex-husband, a former federal prisoner, are accused of aiding their son in a drive-by shooting that occurred minutes after his Bronx court appearance. Chase Lackard, 20, allegedly opened fire on a rival on June 29, with his mother, Jennifer Lackard, and father, James Lackard, serving as the getaway drivers, according to Bronx prosecutors.
Chase Lackard had a court date on a gun possession charge in the Bronx courthouse just 20 minutes before the alleged shooting. Prosecutors stated that Chase Lackard was captured on surveillance cameras entering the courthouse for his appearance.
Jennifer Lackard, 49, who was the deputy commissioner overseeing Mount Vernon's Wellness Unit, was terminated from her position following her arrest. She had been hired in 2020 to lead the unit, which was established by Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard. James Lackard, Chase Lackard's father, has a prior conviction for drug trafficking and served 10 years in federal prison in North Carolina. He is currently a fugitive, according to the prosecution.
Prosecutors detailed that Jennifer Lackard and James Lackard co-founded and operated a North Carolina nonprofit together that was subsequently shut down after James Lackard's federal conviction. Jennifer Lackard later moved to the Bronx, joined a community board, and established a new nonprofit, Re-Entry Link LLC, before her appointment to the Mount Vernon position.
Chase Lackard, who is reportedly a member of the "Slutty Gang," already had two open gun possession cases prior to the alleged June 29 incident, one in Manhattan and the Bronx case for which he had a court appearance that day. He is being held without bail. Jennifer Lackard was arraigned and her bail was set at $75,000.