Chicago Police Department leaders Wednesday appealed to the public for help in finding the person who shot a 12-year-old boy — the son of a Chicago firefighter — in a park in Woodlawn over the weekend.
Addressing reporters at Mamie-Till Park in the 6400 block of South Ellis Ave., where the boy was shot while playing basketball last Friday night, CPD Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said the neighborhood’s cooperation is key to closing the case.
“We need the community’s input to solve these cases,” Deenihan said. “Detectives are working extremely hard, but the video technology plus the witness cooperation is what brings these cases to a conclusion.”
Surveillance video released by Chicago police shows five males walking out of a gangway across the street. At least three of them can be seen firing toward the basketball court in the park before running off.
The boy was shot in both legs, and his condition had stabilized as of Wednesday, Deenihan said.
Cmdr. Angel Novalez said that, while retaliation for cooperating with the police is possible, the CPD has avenues designed to protect anonymity.
“Yes, we’re afraid of retaliation, but the fear of retaliation doesn’t stop these shootings.” Novalez said. “Action does.”
Dozens of minors have been shot in Chicago in recent months. Since June 22, five children 10 years old or younger have died from gun violence in Chicago, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ records.
In three of those murders — 9-year-old Janari Ricks in Cabrini-Green, 7-year-old Natalia Wallace in Austin and 10-year-old Lena Nunez in Logan Square — police were able to locate and arrest suspects because of community cooperation, Deenihan said.
Less than two hours before Deenihan and Novalez addressed reporters, a 9-year-old boy and his 27-year-old mother were shot in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side. Both were listed in critical condition, according to police.
On Monday, another 9-year-old boy was grazed by a bullet while riding in a vehicle in Chatham. Earlier this month, an 8-year-old boy was among four people shot Aug. 5 in Lawndale.
