Police say the shooting happened at approximately 9 p.m. Tuesday during a barbecue party honoring someone who was killed last year.
Remnants of the party were scattered Wednesday throughout the vacant lot near 79th Street and Escanaba in the city's South Chicago neighborhood. The night before, a group of people gathered to remember a friend who was shot and killed in the same place in 2010. But the memorial ended abruptly when someone opened fire on the crowd from inside a car, injuring four men and the 10-year-old boy.
"We were having a celebration for my man, Faison. He passed away last year over gang violence, you know how it goes. And I guess people saw us having a good time and celebrating, and some people had to come and mess up what we had going on right here," said neighbor Malon Moore.
Area resident Ameenah Mohammed walked her 6-year-old son past the crime scene Wednesday morning and said she worried about her family's safety.
"I'm walking my son to school for his first day right now, and to hear such tragic news, I think that's just ridiculous," she told ABC7 Chicago.
According to detectives, the shooting victims were standing on the street when a black car traveling westbound on 79th Street pulled up, and someone in the car started shooting a handgun into the crowd.
The boy was shot in the ankle and was treated and released from the hospital, according to police. A 23-year-old and a 22-year-old male were shot in the foot. Another man, 26, was shot in the thigh. The fourth man, who is also 26 years old, was shot in the head and taken to an area hospital in critical condition.
"It's sad. It's sad. Even little kids have been getting shot all the time around here. This little girl got shot last year in her eye," neighbor Darius Johnson said.
Police say the investigation into Tuesday night's shooting is ongoing, and no one is in custody. Authorities have not released a motive in the case. No suspect description or car descriptions were available Wednesday.
