Roseland shooting: Boy, 5, shot in head shows signs of improvement, undergoes 2nd surgery

Community calls on Governor JB Pritzker to designate gun violence as a public health crisis

ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Saturday, December 12, 2020
Roseland boy, 5, shot in head undergoes 2nd surgery
The community calls on Governor JB Pritzker to designate gun violence as a public health crisis.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A 5-year-old boy who was shot last month while playing inside his family's South Side home is showing signs of improvement.

As police continue to search for the gunman, residents in the Roseland neighborhood joined the young boy's parents to seek justice.

United in their resolve, the family of Clareon Williams makes a plea for whoever's responsible for shooting him to do the right thing.

"Trying to touch your heart as a minister, please turn yourselves in," said the child's grandfather, Dr. Eli Yahh Ysar'al.

WATCH: Police release surveillance video of Roseland shooting

Chicago police released surveillance video from a Nov. 20 drive-by shooting that critically injured a 5-year-old boy inside his Roseland home.

Their effort comes as a neighborhood seeks justice for the little boy.

So far the investigation hasn't yielded any arrests, despite video showing the attack.

"Time for the community to step up and give the authorities a call," added community activist, Andrew Holmes.

A reward for information leading to an arrest is now at $11,000.

"If you know something, if you know, we need you to come forward," said fellow community activist, Rabbi Michael Ben Yousef.

The boy remains hospitalized after he was shot in the head November 20 when someone drove by outside and fired nearly a dozen rounds into the family's apartment.

"I just heard some shots. Bang, bang, bang," recalled the family's next-door neighbor, Ronald.

Williams was scheduled to undergo a second surgery Friday to repair his fractured skull.

"The swelling has gone down enough they feel like they can put that bone back," said his mother, Gwendolyn Dunmars.

"I want to thank God," said Williams' father, Clarence. "The doctor said he doesn't have any brain damage. No nerve damage. So I want to thank God for that too."

As Williams continues to recover, the community came together to pass out flyers to once again called on Governor JB Pritzker to designate neighborhood gun violence as a public health crisis.

"The vaccine to violence is passing," said Pastor Anthony Williams.

While the community knows the young boy was spared, they know others won't be if the violence doesn't end.

"This is real. We are losing our children," said anti-violence advocate, Daliah Goree. "Not from disease; not from COVID, we're losing them out here from gunfire."