Chicago shootings: 24 shot, 5 killed, including baby, in weekend violence, police say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago Police Supt. David Brown addressed another violent weekend in the city after shootings left at least 24 people shot, five fatally.

There are calls for more federal help after a 5-month-old girl was shot and killed in the backseat of a car Friday evening in the South Shore neighborhood.

"Coming into this last weekend, the city was shocked by the shooting of a 5-month-old little girl," Brown said. "This is an unthinkable tragedy and we want to take just a moment to offer our deepest condolences on behalf of the Chicago Police Department to the family. Our officers are working to bring the offenders involved to justice. This is unacceptable and we won't stand for it."

The 5-month-old infant was shot just after 6 p.m. Friday in the 7700-block of South Shore Drive, Chicago police said. Cecilia Thomas was inside a car when another car approached and someone inside that second car opened fire, striking her in the head, police and the Cook County medical examiner's office said. The girl's father pulled over near 71st Street and Crandon Avenue after she began crying, according to a nearby business owner.

The infant was taken to Comer Children's Hospital, where she later died from her injuries, officials said. A man who was in a separate car was shot around the eye, police said. He went to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was reported in good condition.

At least a dozen of the girl's family members gathered outside Comer following the shooting.

"All we heard was baby got shot in the car," said one relative, who declined to give their name. "She got shot in the head," a woman screamed at an officer near the emergency room entrance of the hospital. "I hope y'all catch whoever did this," a woman screamed through tears at her phone. "Took that damn baby's life."

"The solution to dealing with this issue is that we need federal congressional hearings on civilian violence as a public health crisis," said Pastor Anthony Williams, King International Ministries.

"People don't feel safe, they are not getting the direction and there is not a correction process in place," said Phillip Bradley, with Non-Violence Works.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot also urged action at the federal level regarding illegal guns during an appearance on CBS This Morning Monday.

"And so what's the legislation I think will help us is there's a provision against trafficking and straw purchasing and we need our federal partners to be very vigorous enforcing this new law," Lightfoot said. "It's something we fought very hard for. And I'm glad finally, we've seen some positive steps in the right direction, but we need more federal assistance in enforcing this new law."

"These are very tenuous times, but I just believe that this country is strong, that our democracy is strong," Brown said. "I think the leaders obviously have to step up in Congress. We want more gun legislation. We'll take what we have but we want more restrictions."

One person was killed and another wounded after gunmen opened fire on a CTA bus Sunday afternoon in West Garfield Park. About 1:20 p.m., two armed males entered the bus in the 300-block of South Pulaski Road, walked to the back and began shooting at two people on board, police said. A male, whose age was unknown, was shot in the head and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. A man, 24, suffered a graze wound to the head and refused medical attention, police said.

A man was found shot to death Friday night in Longwood Manor - the second person found fatally shot in an hour. Amad Martin, 23, was found with gunshot wounds to his back and left shoulder in the 9600-block of South Princeton Avenue about 11:35 p.m., police and the Cook County medical examiner's office said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he later died from his injuries, police said.

Less than an hour earlier, a man was found fatally shot less than three miles away in Pullman. Edward L. Gholston, 45, was found by officers with multiple gunshot wounds in the 10700-block of South Champlain Avenue about 11 p.m., police and the medical examiner's office said. He was also taken to Christ, where he later died, police said.

A man was shot to death early Sunday while leaving his car in the city's Little Italy neighborhood on the Near West Side. The man, 32, was leaving his car in the 1300-block of West Roosevelt Road about 4:30 a.m. when he was shot twice in the chest, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he later died, police said.

A 16-year-old girl was wounded by gunfire Saturday afternoon in Grand Crossing on the South Side. The teen was on a sidewalk in the 1500-block of East 75th Street about 4:30 p.m. when someone inside a car fired shots, striking her in the arm, police said. She was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was reportedly in good condition, officials said.

About an hour earlier, three people were wounded in a shooting at a courtyard in Parkway Gardens on the South Side. Three men, between 18 and 20, were at the courtyard in the 6400-block of South King Drive about 3:20 p.m. when at least one person opened fire, Chicago police said.

An 18-year-old man was shot in the leg and a 20-year-old man in the left arm, police said. Both were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, officials said. A third man, 19, was grazed in the right leg and refused medical attention, police said.

Last weekend, 61 people were shot, 10 fatally.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.