3 girls, including 5-year-old, among 6 wounded in East Garfield Park shooting
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Three girls were among six people shot in Chicago's East Garfied Park neighborhood Sunday night, police said.
Three suspects in a black sedan were traveling east in the 3400-block of West Walnut Street and shots were fired from inside the sedan at about 9:54 p.m., police said.
Surveillance video from a corner grocery store's camera captured the entire incident. In the video, a family is seen leaving their apartment and walking around the corner to a parked car. Two women and five children are in the process of getting in when a passenger in a gray sedan driving eastbound at Walnut near Homan Avenue opens fire on a group of people walking on the sidewalk.
The sedan never stops, just keeps on driving, leaving behind six people shot, including three of the children, aged 5, 14 and 15, who were getting into the car and 20-year-old Tamya Russell.
They were not the intended targets of the shooting, police said. The suspects' vehicle was last seen going north on Homan Avenue after the shooting.
The 5-year-old girl was taken to Stroger Hospital in stable condition with a wound to her arm; the 14-year-old girl was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition with wounds to the chest, arm and abdomen and the 15-year-old girl was shot in the thigh and transported in good condition to Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center.
Tamya Russell was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in serious condition with wounds to the chest and arm.
Her mother, Cindy Russell, lives nearby.
"She dropped my grandson off, and then came outside. She just came home from college," Cindy said.
The other two victims, a 26-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy, were on foot outside when they were shot, police said. The boy was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition with a wound to the foot and the man was transported to Stroger Hospital in good condition with a wound to the thigh.
Police said the man and boy are documented gang members. This past Friday and Saturday a mobile gang unit was parked right at the corner, trying to contain what investigators said is a historical gang conflict in the area.
"This is one we need help from the community on this," said Chicago Police Deputy Chief Al Nagode. "We can't let this continue. The senseless gun violence that is occurring over here touches another family."
The family's landlord said the injured children and their mother had just moved in a few months ago.
Breakthrough, an East Garfield Park non-profit that aims to reduce violence and gang tensions in the neighborhood, held an impromptu picnic at the corner of Walnut and Homan Monday evening.
"The sole purpose is just to bring the people out, let them know, hey, feel secure, this is your neighborhood," said Tori Ano Lockett of Breakthrough.
Police and Breakthrough are hoping the picnic will help get a dialogue going with the community.
"That's the only time people are really going to come out, when they see something positive going on," said Lativa Hudson, neighbor.
No one is in custody and Area North Detectives are investigating.
