East Chicago shooting: Girl, 8, dies days after being struck by stray bullet; $10K reward offered
EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (WLS) -- An 8-year-old girl has died after being shot in the head last week by stray gunfire while seated on a living room floor doing homework in East Chicago, Indiana.
Timya Andrews died about 2 p.m. Wednesday at Comer Children's Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people involved in the Oct. 22 shooting, East Chicago Police Deputy Chief Jose Rivera said Wednesday in an email.
RELATED: Girl, 8, shot in head by stray bullet while doing homework in East Chicago
Police said around that time they received an alert about gunfire in the area from their ShotSpotter system. Just moments after officers arrived to find that 16 rounds had been fired, there were calls for help about a child being shot.
Paramedics stabilized Andrews, who was eventually airlifted in critical condition to the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital.
Investigators confirmed an older male relative of the girl was shot last week, but have not said if it is connected.
"A little over a week ago we did have a shooting that had something to do with a person in this house, but again we're not sure it's related," Deputy Chief Jose Rivera with the East Chicago Police Department.
Neighbors said they were told the family moved to the usually quiet town from Chicago to escape neighborhood gang and gun violence.
There have recently been several incidents, possibly sparked by gang violence, on the same block, Rivera said.
Anyone with information on the shooting is encouraged to call the East Chicago Police Department's anonymous tip line at 219-391-8500.
Note: The video at the top of this story is from a previous report.
