Hazel Crest shooting leaves Chicago South Side girl, 12, dead after shot in head

HAZEL CREST, Ill. (WLS) -- A 12-year-old girl from Chicago's Gresham neighborhood on the city's South Side was killed in a shooting Saturday in suburban Hazel Crest.

Neighbors who live near the scene said there were several police squad cars Saturday night, but they too do not know what led up to this tragedy.

The incident happened about 10 p.m. in the 17600-block of Arlington Lane, the Cook County medical examiner's office said.

The young girl, identified as Erica Gibson, suffered a gunshot wound to her head and was pronounced dead at 10:53 p.m., the medical examiner's office said. An autopsy ruled her death a homicide.

One woman who did not want to be identified said as she arrived at a relative's house on the block and knew something serious had happened when she saw several squad car nearby.

"I was absolutely astonished at what happened hearing about a 12-year-old girl shot and killed. This neighborhood is pretty quiet. Good neighbors, people in the neighborhood very shocked at a 12-year-old being killed," the woman said.

ABC7 reached out to Hazel Crest police but they still have not released the details on what lead up to the young girl's death.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this article.