Child critically injured in Lake Shore Drive road-rage shooting shows signs of improvement

The 21-month-old boy critically injured during a road-rage incident on Lake Shore Drive earlier this week continues to show “some signs of improvement,” doctors treating him at Lurie Children’s Hospital said Friday.

But Kayden Swann remained in “very critical” condition.

“Over the past 24 hours, the patient has remained critically ill but has been starting to demonstrate some improvement in brain function,” Dr. Marcelo Malakooti, medical director of Lurie’s pediatric ICU, said in a statement Friday. “He continues to require a ventilator to support his breathing, and ICU therapies to continue to support his brain during this tenuous period.”

Kayden’s mother, Jalisa Hooks, has set up a GoFundMe account for “aftercare cost for baby Kayden.” The site had raised about $2,565 of a $5,000 goal as of 8 p.m. Friday.

A bullet struck Kayden in the head late Tuesday morning as he rode in a car on Lake Shore Drive. Kayden was in the back seat of the car, which was nearly struck by an SUV trying to merge onto the highway near Soldier Field about 11:30 a.m. The drivers of both car got into an argument, eventually leading to the SUV driver opening fire, investigators have said.

Kayden was shot in his temple and rushed to the hospital by a bystander. He was placed in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator to protect his brain.

Police have not announced the arrest of the shooter.

Jushawn Brown, 43, of Englewood, was driving the car Kayden was riding in. Brown, who had a 9mm handgun, was charged Thursday with possessing a weapon without proper state identification and later released on bond.

Prosecutors said there was no evidence Brown fired his weapon or displayed it during the road-rage incident.