A Chicago toddler and a 26-year-old man were both fatally shot Tuesday as they were riding in a car, the second deadly incident involving a child in the violence-ridden city in the past two days.
According to CNN, the 2-year-old was sitting in a car that was being driven by his aunt when he was shot in the head. The child was pronounced dead at the hospital. The man, who was in the passenger seat in front of the child, also died at the scene, while the aunt, who is pregnant, was shot in the stomach.
The woman was rushed to the hospital, where she and her unborn child were said to be in stable condition, according to police spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi. Police say the man who died was a known gang member.
The three were shot in an alleyway on the Southwest Side of the city by someone who got out of a car that was driving by. According to the report, video exists showing the trio singing along to music as they drove into the alley. A few minutes into the live stream, multiple shots can be heard. The woman then runs from the car, screaming, “They shot at us! I got a bullet in my stomach.”
Police say they have a good idea about the identity of the shooter.
“We have very promising leads, we have [surveillance] video, so there’s no doubt in my mind that we’ll find him,” Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said at a news conference.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the shooting should be a “turning point.”
“Every parent, regardless of where they live, should be able to take their child for a walk to the park or a ride in the car,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, 11-year-old Takiya Holmes, one of two young girls who were shot on Chicago’s South Side over the weekend, died.
“We just cannot afford to continue to see our children being shot down for things that they have no involvement in,” Johnson said. “This has just got to stop somewhere.
“I’m sick of it and I know Chicago is sick of it, and I just hope that our legislative partners are sick of it,” he added.
Read more at CNN.
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