8-year-old boy accidentally shot dead by relative, police say

Police say an 8-year-old boy was accidentally shot and killed by an older relative in a home on the South Side, and no criminal charges will be filed.

Jaiden Hines was shot around 5:50 p.m. Monday as the 17-year-old relative was handling a gun inside the home in the 3600 block of South Rhodes Avenue, according to Chicago police.

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The relative ran off but later surrendered. He told police he thought the gun was not loaded when it went off. His mother and other relatives backed his story, police said.

There was no evidence the shooting was intentional, police said, and the relative was released from custody without being charged.

Community activist Andrew Holmes, who talked with the family, said Jaiden was “a fun little guy and they’re going to miss him.”

“I wish his mother would have her son to wake up in the morning and just laugh with her son,” Holmes said. “This is a very close-knit family, very respectful.”