8-year-old Chicago girl killed, 7 injured in South Side shooting

An 8-year-old girl was killed and 10 more people were injured in a suspected gang-related shooting on the South Side of Chicago, Ilinois on Saturday.

According to a statement from Deputy Police Chief Don Jerome, the department responded to 18 shots fired around 9 PM at the 5200 block of South Damen. When police arrived, they immediately began performing life-saving measures on the victims.

Of those shot in the incident, four of them were children. An 8-year-old girl was shot in the head and was pronounced dead, while a 1-year-old boy and an 8-year-old boy were transported to the area hospital and are listed in critical condition. A 9-year-old boy was also treated for a graze wound on his finger.

"This was not a random act of violence," Jerome stated. "It was likely gang-related."

Jerome further explained that all of the victims were standing outside at a family gathering when the incident occurred.

Police told WDSU on Sunday, that a 36-year-old man was listed in critical condition after he was shot in the arms and back, but all other adults involved were in good condition.

One witness told police that they saw a black sedan approached the group, shots were fired, and then the car fled the area.

According to a Chicago Police report at the end of March, violent crime in the city is down 12 percent from the same period last year, with 15,459 incidents, compared to 17,610 in 2024. There have been 111 murders so far this year, compared to 117 last year, and 410 shooting incidents compared to 440.

However, in the 28 days before the report, the murder rate was up 34 percent over this period last year, with 43 incidents compared to 32 last year. Shooting incidents are also up 8 percent compared to the same period in 2023.