Uncle shot dead trying to help niece who was being sexually assaulted in Burnside; suspect in custody

The 66-year-old rushed to the aid of his niece, 17, after he heard her screaming, police said.

SHARE Uncle shot dead trying to help niece who was being sexually assaulted in Burnside; suspect in custody
A child was hurt in a shooting March 18, 2022, in Cragin.

A man was shot dead Nov. 7, 2019, while trying to save his niece from an attacker in Burnside.

Sun-Times file photo

A suspect is in custody after a man was shot to death Thursday while rushing to help his niece who was being sexually assaulted in the Burnside neighborhood, police say.

About 9 p.m., the 17-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in a bedroom after a man broke through a window of her home, Chicago police said. 

The girl’s 66-year-old uncle rushed to help after he heard her screaming, and the attacker opened fire, striking him in the head and back, police said. 

He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The Cook County medical examiner’s office confirmed the death.

To protect the identity of the girl, the Sun-Times is not naming the uncle.

The girl was taken to Trinity Hospital, where her condition was stabilized, police said.

Police said the suspect attempted to flee the home but was arrested nearby. A law enforcement source said the suspect is a 25-year-old man. Charges are pending.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

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