Chicago police officers responded just after 11:20 a.m. to the 9800-block of South Charles Street for a report of a child in distress.
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Police said during a news conference Monday afternoon that the child was able to get ahold of an unsecured weapon inside his home and fire multiple shots.
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Alderman Matt O'Shea said the weapon was legally possessed, just not secured.
"It's just sad that a young kid can get a gun, have access like that and start shooting," neighbor Kenneth Johnson said.
When officers arrived, he also shot at police once, CPD said.
He was also pointing the gun at himself at times, according to CPD.
Due to the child's age and distress, police used non-lethal methods to try to subdue him, CPD said.
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"He's a child, so that's what's in our mind when we have discussions of what's the next step, so definitely his age and the distress he's in, very important for any incident but this one in particular because it was very delicate," Chicago Police Deputy Chief Migdalia Bulnes said.
Police fired bean bag rounds and deployed pepper spray, eventually startling the boy and causing him to toss away the gun, CPD said.
Police detained him, and he was taken to a hospital for observation.
"He's in an area hospital right now getting treated, hopefully getting the medical help that he needs, and all our police officers going home to their families," O'Shea said.
No officers were injured in the incident, which locked down the neighborhood, closing Charles and 99th streets.
Chicago fire officials said a woman was transported to Little Company of Mary in an unknown condition from the scene.
"I began to unload my groceries; then I heard a pop. Then I saw someone run," said one neighbor, who did not want to be identified.
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Another neighbor heard the same sounds.
"They cordoned off everything; they had tape around my house, and heard shots -- pop, pop," Maurie Sims said.
Crystal Lindsey said she met the boy and his brother this summer, and isn't sure what happened Monday morning.
"The interaction I've had with them, they have been nothing but kind," Lindsey said. "It's really important for people to understand why anyone, a child, would act out. There may be a trigger or something that happened previously."
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