CHICAGO — Eight people have been shot, including a young girl who was killed Saturday night in what Chicago police say was gang-related violence on the city’s South Side.
The 7-year-old girl was shot in the head and died, while a 1-year-old boy and a 7-year-old boy were each shot multiple times and listed in critical condition, the deputy chief said of the Chicago Police Department, Don Jerome. during a press briefing at the scene, a block away on 52nd Street near Damen Avenue.
Police responding to a shooting alert around 9 p.m. applied tourniquets and chest seals to the victims, who also included adults aged 19 to 40, Jerome said.
The victims, who were outside at a family gathering at the time of the shooting, were transported to area hospitals by the Chicago Fire Department.
The investigation was still in the preliminary stages, but testimony pointed to two possible shooters on foot, Jérôme said.
“It wasn’t a random act of violence. It was probably gang related,” Jerome said. “Whatever the motivation for this incident, three innocent children were struck this evening and one of them tragically succumbed to his injuries. The actions of the attackers, make no mistake, are horrific and unacceptable in our city .”
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