Girl, 7, shot while trick-or-treating in Little Village on Southwest Side

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A 7-year-old girl and a 31-year-old man were shot on a sidewalk in Little Village Thursday, police said.

The girl was shot in the neck while trick-or-treating in the Southwest Side neighborhood, according to police.

The shooting happened about 5:30 p.m. when at least two people walked up to another group of people standing in 3700 block of West 26th Street and began firing at them, according to Chicago police.

The girl was struck by a stray bullet and was rushed to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said. She was expected to be transferred to Comer Medical Center.

"It is unacceptable a 7-year-old girl that is trick-or-treating with her family out here and happens to get shot,' said Sgt. Rocco Alioto, Chicago Police Department. "Because a group of guys wanted to shoot at another male while there's a street full of kids trick-or-treating."

The man was shot in the left hand and transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in stable condition.

Ian Martinez was handing out candy near a Metro PCS store on the corner of 26th Street and Lawndale Avenue when he heard the gunshots.

The girl was struck in a nearby alley and someone picked her up and took her inside the Metro PCS to wait for paramedics to arrive, he said. She was wearing a red or purple bumblebee costume under her coat when he saw her inside the store laying on the ground.

It's a tradition for businesses on 26th Street to hand out candy on Halloween, so as detectives did their work families veered from the police tape, still trick-or-treating.

Witnesses, too afraid to speak on camera, said they heard several gunshots and saw at least one person running away while wearing a mask.

Area Central Detectives are investigating, reviewing surveillance video and asking for help from the community. No one is currently in custody.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.