Chicago shooting: 9-year-old boy shot multiples times, killed inside Princeton Park home ID'd

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Sources told ABC7 the boy's mother is among the relatives who are still being questioned by detectives at Area 2 as they try to determine exactly what happened and who owned the weapon that killed him.

Bits of crime tape remained outside the home where, Sunday evening, 9-year-old Jarvis Watts lost his life after being shot three times. Police, at this point, are still trying to determine whether this was an accidental shooting. The weapon has not been recovered.

"It seems like this gun get more respect than the victim. This gun is in a warm place right now laying down in a pillow, in a car, in somebody's waistband. This baby is laying down at the morgue," said community activist Andrew Holmes.

The shooting, which took place at a corner home at 94th and Wallace in the city's Princeton Park neighborhood, is one of at least five in which someone has lost their life as a result of gunfire in Chicago since the year began. The boy was rushed to Comer Children's Hospital, where he was pronounced. The medical examiner identified him and classified his killing as a homicide.

"It's an extended family that resides in the house. There were multiple children and multiple adults in the house at that time," said 22nd District CPD Commander Sean Joyce.

Neighbors on Monday said the boy was one of three living there and attended Kipling Elementary School just across the street.

"It was sad to hear that had happened," said Shirley Smith, a next-door neighbor. "They would always be out here playing football and just running around... And if I needed any help when I was coming in, and had lots of groceries in the car, they were always there to help."

Sadly, the boy is among 13 people shot, five fatally, in Chicago New Year's Day violence.

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