Girl, 14, charged in shooting death of Endia Martin, 14, in Back of the Yards
Chicago -- A 14-year-old girl was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Endia Martin, 14. Two others may also be charged, according to Chicago police.
The 14-year-old girl was charged as a juvenile on Tuesday after police said they questioned a person of interest overnight.
Chicago police said two men, ages 17 and 24, are also in custody. Police said the young men may have brought a gun to a fight between the girls, and the 24-year-old is believed to be the uncle of the suspect.
Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said the weapon was recovered at the scene and police are investigating how it got into the hands of the suspect.
"What would have been, under any other circumstances, a fist fight between girls arguing over a boy, turned into a murder," McCarthy said.
The weapon involved in the shooting was reported missing by a legal gun owner in the 4th District on April 13, McCarthy said, after it was stolen out of a vehicle.
"This is madness. There are too many guns coming in . . . and no one is going to jail for guns," McCarthy said. "Something has got to change."
On Monday, Martin was walking home from Tilden Career Academy in the 900-block of West Garfield when she was shot in the back around 4:30 p.m. Another girl, 16, was shot in the arm. Police said the offender ran away but was taken into custody 20 minutes later.
Martin was taken to Comer Children's Hospital, where she later died. The 16-year-old was taken to St. Bernard Hospital and is expected to recover.
Martin's parents said she recently transferred to Tilden in order to have a shorter, safer commute to and from school.
Grief counselors were on-hand at Tilden on Tuesday. Several students said they found out about Martin's death on Facebook. They said she hoped to join the Navy.
"She was a friend of us. She never had problems with anyone," Martin's classmate Maria Gonzales said. "She always used to smile. In JROTC she would always help anyone."
