Two young boys were shot Thursday afternoon, one fatally, in the South Shore neighborhood, according to the Chicago police.
The boys, ages 5 and 8, were inside a home in the 1400 block of East 71st Place when they were both wounded around 5:20 p.m., police said, citing preliminary information.
The 8-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the left side of his head, while the younger boy suffered a graze wound to his head, police said.
Both boys were taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where the older boy was pronounced dead, police said. The 5-year-old was listed in good condition.
The victim’s relatives began to gather in the vestibule of Comer Children’s Hospital around 8:15 p.m. but were not able to enter the building because the hospital was placed on lockdown. None would make public comments.
Police said a firearm was recovered from the scene but did not indicate whether the children may have been playing with the weapon.
About an hour after the shooting, neighbors on 71st Place looked on as police lined the front walk to a brick cottage on the north side of the street. They watched as police led a man into custody.
A neighbor who asked not to be named was looking out her window at 5:19 p.m. and witnessed the moment a mail carrier on her route saw something at the victim’s home, dropped her packages and ran toward it. Police cars soon began arriving on the block, she said.
The neighbor added the victim’s family lived in the home for about two years. In warmer weather, she’d see the children out in a nearby vacant lot or playing in the street.
Wentworth Area detectives were investigating.
Armando Sanchez contributed to this report.
