An eight-year-old girl was killed in a shooting on Chicago’s South Side that left 10 people injured, including a baby.
Chicago police officers responded to the violent incident around 9:15 p.m. Saturday in the 2000 block of West 52nd Street in Back of the Yards, a Chicago neighborhood.
According to police, a family was gathering for a birthday party when gunmen opened fire with assault rifles and handguns.
An eight-year-old girl died after being shot in the head, while a one-year-old boy and an eight-year-old boy were each shot multiple times and were in critical condition.
A nine-year-old boy was also injured with a scratch on his finger. He was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition, police said.
‘This was not a random act of violence. It was probably gang related,” said department deputy chief Don Jerome. “The actions of the criminals, make no mistake, are horrific and unacceptable in our city.”
Chicago police officers responded to the violent incident around 9:15 p.m. Saturday in the 2000 block of West 52nd Street in Back of the Yards on Saturday around 9:15 p.m.
An eight-year-old girl died and ten others were injured. A one-year-old boy and an eight-year-old boy were each shot several times and are in critical condition.
Police said at least seven other people, ages 19 to 38, were also wounded in the shooting.
As of Sunday, the girl had not been identified and police were looking for two suspects. Nobody was arrested.
Police said at least seven other people, ages 19 to 38, were also injured in the shooting.
One of the victims, a 36-year-old man, was shot in the arms and back and was in critical condition.
“The Back of the Yards community is united in our grief, prayers and collective mindset that we must continue to stand against these senseless acts of physical force,” said Councilwoman Stephanie Coleman of the 16th Ward, where the shooting took place.
‘Violence is a citywide problem that continues to falsely characterize the true essence and intrinsic nature of our neighborhoods. “This tragedy has left us all heartbroken and distraught.”
“I want to send my deepest condolences to the family of this precious gem and my prayers to every person injured,” Coleman added.
Police said witnesses saw a black sedan approaching at the time of the shooting and that someone fired shots into the crowd before fleeing.
Pastor Donovan Price said WGN9: ‘All I can say right now is that I am going to pray, you pray and may God help us.’
The department’s deputy chief, Don Jerome (center), said Chicago police are investigating the shooting that was “likely gang-related.”
Police said witnesses saw a black sedan approaching at the time of the shooting and that someone fired shots into the crowd before fleeing.
One of the victims, a 36-year-old man, was shot in the arms and back and is in critical condition.
The shooting is being investigated by the Chicago Police Department, as Jerome said witness accounts described two possible shooters on foot.
According to statistics from Sun-TimesAt least 120 children under the age of 16 have been shot to death in Chicago since 2018.
In 2024, there have been 36 shootings in the city, according to data of the Chicago Police Department. That rate has increased three percent since 2023.
Chicago’s Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson has yet to comment on the shooting.
He previously made a statement about Dexter Reed, 26, who died following a traffic stop in Humboldt Park after police pulled him over for allegedly not wearing a seat belt.
Johnson said at a news conference that he was “devastated” to learn of another young black man killed by police, but stressed that he might have been grieving the loss of another black life if the beaten officer had died.
Heartbreaking body camera footage showed the moment Reed “opened fire on police” before officers shot him more than 90 times.
Mayor Johnson promised a full investigation and added that Tuesday’s release was part of an effort to be more transparent.
“Attempts to withhold or delay information are mistakes of the past,” he said at a news conference with COPA and the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
“As mayor and as a father raising a family, including two Black children on Chicago’s West Side, I am personally devastated to see another young Black man lose his life during an interaction with police.”