Man charged with baby’s death in shooting of pregnant woman

Police say a man was aiming at another man when he shot a pregnant woman last weekend in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side, leading to the premature delivery of a baby boy who died two days later.

William E. Welch, 38, faces first-degree murder charges for the Sunday shooting near his home in the 1600 block of South Springfield, according to Chicago Police.

An argument started about 10:45 a.m. and Welch fired shots at a 34-year-old man, instead hitting the 35-year-old woman in the chest, police allege.

She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, and her baby boy was delivered, police said.

The newborn died at 5:20 a.m. Tuesday of complications of extreme prematurity and emergency cesarean section delivery due to the mother’s gunshot wound, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. The death was ruled a homicide.

The woman remained hospitalized as of Wednesday morning.

Welch, who also faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder, was arrested Tuesday in the 3700 block of West Roosevelt, police said. He was due in bond court Friday afternoon.