5-month-old fatally shot in South Shore: ‘You never know what it’s like to have a broken heart until you go through it’

A 5-month-old girl was fatally shot Friday night in South Shore, officials said.

The shooting happened just after 6 p.m. in the 7700 block of South Shore Drive, Chicago police said.

Cecilia Thomas was inside a car when another car approached and someone inside the second car opened fire, striking her in the head, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Thomas’ father pulled over near 71st Street and Crandon Avenue after she began crying, according to a nearby business owner.

She was still in her car seat when paramedics arrived. They moved the car seat to the ambulance with the child inside it, according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.

The infant was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital. She died from her injuries about an hour later, 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.”

A nurse at Comer saw paramedics bringing the child in for treatment.

“I’ve never in my 61 years of life seen anything like this,” said the nurse, Jackie, who declined to give her last name.

The nurse said two of her own children have been killed by gunfire and a third was left paralyzed after being shot at a party.

“You never know what it’s like to have a broken heart until you go through it,” she said.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting is encouraged to call 1-800-883-5587.

Contributing: Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere, Zack Miller