Chicago shooting: 17-year-old girl killed, teen boy injured at North Austin park, officials say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that 17-year-old Ashuntice Wilburn was shot to death at a West Side park on Saturday afternoon.

Chicago police said she, along with a 16-year-old boy, were shot while a block party was going on nearby.

"And, then we hear shots. And then, we heard tires, like, squealing away and was like, 'No, those were not fireworks,'" said Antoinette Coleman, who heard the gunfire. "The first thing I wanted to do was grab my grand babies and cover them, because I don't want anything to happen to them."

Chicago police said the shooting happened in the North Austin neighborhood's 5700 block of West Bloomingdale Avenue at about 4:10 p.m. Wilburn and the teen boy were in Galewood Park when someone opened fire.

"We can't even go to the park, because the parks are not safe. And, to try to have a block party, and we're right up the street, and somebody's shooting - it's sad," Coleman said.

Wilburn, shot in the buttocks, was transported in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, where she later died. The teen boy, shot in the right leg, was taken to the same hospital in good condition.

"And, she was probably so innocent in this, and now she's lost her life. Now, her family's got to deal with this," Coleman said.

The tragic shooting left a lingering concern for people, including children, at the block party. They were simply trying to enjoy their weekend before school starts.

"We got to dig deeper and figure how our children can have the ability to be children. They don't get that anymore," Coleman said.

Police did not immediately provide information about suspects or arrests in this case. Area Five Detectives are investigating.

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