7-year-old girl shot at Christmas Day family gathering
Chicago — A 7-year-old girl is in critical condition after she was shot early Christmas morning, CBS Chicago reports. Police said the girl was in a residence at a family gathering when someone fired shots from the sidewalk into the house in the Brighton Park neighborhood.
Emergency crews responded at approximately 1:37 a.m. The child was rushed to a hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
"The little girl should have been waking up to opening up presents, instead of waking up in a hospital," anti-violence activist Andrew Holmes told local station WFLD-TV.
"I mean she's practically fighting for her life. As you can see, numerous shell casings out here, individuals shooting at somebody else, and then on Christmas. What is a Christmas going to look like in the years to come?" Holmes said.
Officials said the girl is not from the area, but was visiting family.
Police also said a second victim, a 38-year-old man identified as Patrick Johnson, suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and walked into another hospital for treatment. CBS Chicago reports that police believe Johnson was the intended target of the attack.
Detectives were investigating and no one was in custody.
In a statement, the family of the 7-year-old girl said they are "grateful for the outpouring of love and support."
The Chicago Tribune reports there were at least two other shootings in the city overnight, leaving a 27-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the leg and a 32-year-old man with a graze to the shoulder in separate incidents.
