3-year-old boy fatally shot in Rockford

A 3-year-old boy was fatally shot at an apartment building Thursday in Rockford.

Officers responded about 11:30 a.m. to the 800 block of North Court Street and found the boy suffering from a gunshot wound, Rockford police said. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

The shooting was contained to a room inside of the apartment, Rockford Chief of Police Dan O’Shea said at a news conference Friday morning.

“It goes without saying, tragic, horrific, whatever words you want to use, a 3-year-old lost their life,” O’Shea said.

O’Shea didn’t say whether a gun was recovered, or provide details on the circumstances leading up to the shooting, citing an ongoing investigation.

Several people were inside the apartment at the time, and one of them was charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon for an unrelated incident from earlier in the week, Winnebago County State’s Attorney Marilyn Hite Ross said.

“For several months now the gun violence in the city is reaching crazy high levels, and we need the community’s help,” O’Shea said. “A 3-year-old touches the hearts of everybody.”