CHICAGO (CBS) — A 5-year-old girl was killed in a shooting on the Chicago’s Near West Side early Sunday morning.
Chicago police said just after 3:30 a.m., a group of people was standing outside in the 200 block of North Campbell Avenue when shots were fired.
The girl was inside a parked car when she was hit by gunfire, according to police. She was struck in the upper abdomen and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Neighbors in the area are especially upset.
“That child shouldn’t have been out here till 3 o’clock in the morning,” said one neighbor. “And you know this ain’t no safe haven. Three o’clock in the morning in a car? Come on now.”
At least 60 evidence markers lined the street where the shooting happened.
“I heard one shot. Then 30, 40 more shots,” the neighbor said. “Stupid man! How are you going to go through life saying, ‘I killed a baby?'”
A 24-year-old man, who was standing outside, was shot twice in his left thigh and was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition.
At a roll call designed as a show of solidarity with the police during a typically violent weekend, police addressed the little girl’s death.
“Tragedies like that do happen across the city, and as district commander and as a police officer, it really hits home anytime there’s a loss of life,” said 8th District CPD Commander Bryan Spreyne. “When we have juveniles like that, it really hits home. It’s difficult to handle; it’s difficult for our responding officers. That’s somebody’s child, brother, sister, cousin.”
This shooting is just a continuation of violence this Memorial Day weekend so far. According to Chicago Police data, at least 25 people have been shot since Friday night, and five are dead, including that 5-year-old girl.
Last year over the holiday weekend 47 people were wounded, and nine died. In 2022, 50 people were shot, and nine of them were killed.
“Come on, man. When do we stop this?” that neighbor said.
Area Detectives are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident.
No other injuries have been reported, and no arrests were made.
One community group said it is offering $1,000 for any information leading to an arrest in the case.
