A 15-year old boy was fatally shot in the head twice while walking home from school in Chicago, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
The shooting occurred on February 8 in the block of 3300 block of S. Prairie about 3:15 p.m. (2:15 p.m. ET), Chicago Police Department said.
In an alert, police said the teenager was near the sidewalk when he was approached by the suspect who produced a handgun and fired shots.
The victim was transported to Comer Children’s Hospital initially in critical condition. He later died of his injuries.
The victim was on his way home from school when he was shot, WFLD reports.
Two people have since been brought in for questioning in relation to the shooting.
Newsweek has contacted the Chicago Police Department for comment.
The shooting comes a little more than two weeks after an 8-year-old girl was shot dead while walking with her mother in Chicago.
Melissa Ortega was killed in a shooting on January 24, 2022, as Newsweek reported at the time.
Ortega was walking through the Little Village neighborhood on January 22 when an unidentified person armed with a gun began firing the weapon.
Ortega was struck in the head, police said. A member of the Gangster Two Six gang was also injured in the shooting, police said.
A GoFundMe page was set up for Ortega following the shooting to cover funeral expenses. At the time of reporting, more than $86,000 has been raised.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot spoke about the difficulties of dealing with violent crime and gun crime in Chicago during a speech late last year.
“The common enemy is not just illegal guns but the violent criminals and gangs that use them,” she said on December 20.
“Right now, today, there are too many violent people walking our streets wreaking havoc in our neighborhoods.
“You have heard me and the Superintendent talk about the issue of the number of violent, dangerous people out on electronic monitoring.
“I know no one who believes that our communities are safer if murderers, attempted murderers, rapists, or car jackers are placed on electronic monitoring, or EM, and essentially free to go about their business after they are charged.”
She closed the speech by saying she remained optimistic about the future and 2022 and the police’s ability to fight crime and bring peace to Chicago streets.
“I have tremendous hope in my heart in part because you have shown me again and again, your own resiliency and the quintessential Chicago toughness,” she said. “There is no problem that we cannot tackle if we lock arms and do it together.”
Getty Images