9-year-old boy killed, man wounded in East Side shooting

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A 9-year-old boy was killed and a 31-year-old man with him was critically wounded in a shooting Friday night in Chicago's East Side neighborhood, police said.

The shooting occurred in the 3500-block of East 97th Street at about 11:31 p.m., police said. Both victims were in a car when someone pulled up alongside them and opened fire.

The boy was identified as Gustavo Garcia, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

A witness said the man could be heard a few blocks from the original shooting scene screaming to police that his son had been shot.

"He started screaming some more and he came down and said, 'They killed my son.' They shot a 9-year-old boy, that's awful, especially in this neighborhood," said Raul Mendez, who heard the shooting.

The boy was transported to Comer Children's Hospital with a wound to the back and was later pronounced dead. A 31-year-old man was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition with wounds to the back, face and chest.

No one was in custody Saturday evening.