A seemingly gang-related shooting occurred late Thursday night in Chicago’s southwest side, injuring 13 people. The spree occurred shortly after ten o’clock at a basketball court in Cornell Square Park, when an undetermined number of gunmen pulled up in a gray sedan and began shooting randomly.
The 13 victims range from 3 to 41 years old. The exceptionally young boy, Deonta Howard, was shot in the cheek and is said to be in critical condition.
According to CNN, his grandmother pleaded,”Y’all out here killing these innocent people, kids, parents, grandparents, mothers, fathers: It’s got to stop. You need to stop.”
At least ten ambulances responded to the scene and took the victims to several area hospitals. As of Friday morning, three victims are in critical condition (including the three-year-old), and the others are reported to be in serious or fair condition. There were no fatalities as of yet.
Ron Gaines, a police department spokesman, claimed that no arrests have been made. Police believe that the shooting stemmed from an ongoing gang dispute – as there were gang members on the scene and among the victims — but motives have not been uncovered. Officers say that victims are being interviewed in order to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack.
The park is an area considered to be a “high gang conflict area” by police, just as many areas a few blocks north and south are. Gun violence in Chicago is a serious problem, as it led to more than 500 murders in 2012, according to an unofficial tally. The city has been struggling with gun violence for years, and police describe it as an ongoing investigation.
This recent shooting marks the sixth mass shooting in the U.S. since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT.