CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will join other local leaders Tuesday afternoon to discuss the city’s gun violence, less than a day after another child was shot.
A 7-year-old boy was among three people shot on the city’s South Side Monday afternoon, Chicago police said.
The family of the boy told ABC7 Chicago they are simply grateful that their loved ones will be OK. But at the same time, they’re outraged over the recent violence impacting young children
Donesha Childs, a 23-year-old mother, and her 7-year-old son, Jamari, were both at the University of Chicago Medical Center complex early Tuesday, being treated for gunshot wounds.
“The crime just needs to stop. The violence just needs to stop,” said Shkunna Stewart, Childs’ older sister.
A litter of evidence markers could be seen near multiple gunshot casings in the Englewood neighborhood’s 7400-block of South Loomis Boulevard after the incident.
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“She had called me and said that they were on the way to get food,” said Jamia Sewell, Childs’ niece.
Chicago police said the shooting happened at about 5:45 p.m.
“She said they was just riding, then a car pulled up alongside of her and just started shooting,” Stewart said.
Family members identified Childs, her 19-year-old boyfriend and her 7-year-old son, as the three people who were inside the vehicle that was shot at.
“He’s a baby. It’s like there’s no regard for life at this point,” Stewart said. “They just don’t care if it’s a child.”
Police said the 7-year-old was shot in the arm, and his mother was shot in the hand. Childs’ boyfriend was shot in his leg.
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“We were just here with the 6-year-old. And then, a couple of days before that, we had another 6-year-old. Now, we have a 7-year-old,” community activist Andrew Holmes said.
On Monday night, family and activists were beyond fed-up, calling on city leaders and police to step up.
“These babies maybe have permanent damage to the rest of their life,” Holmes said. “They’re in a lot of pain.”
So far this year, 228 minors have been shot in Chicago, 32 fatally.
Lightfoot will join Congresswoman Robin Kelly, the Community Justice Action Fund and local leaders Tuesday afternoon to discuss the city’s gun violence.
That’s happening at 1 p.m. at City Hall.
Area One detectives are investigating. Police did not provide further information about the shooting.
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