7-year-old girl dies after being stabbed multiple times in Chicago, police say
A 7-year-old girl was fatally stabbed on a sidewalk in a shopping district of Chicago over the weekend by a woman who was detained at the scene of the crime by bystanders, according to police.
The incident occurred just before noon local time on Saturday in the Chatham neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, according to a statement from the Chicago Police Department.
The victim was walking southbound on the sidewalk when the unidentified suspect approached her, police said.
"The offender displayed a sharp object and stabbed the victim multiple times in the back," according to the police statement.
The girl was taken to Comer Children's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the young victim as Edimari Hernandez Chacon, according to ABC Chicago station WLS.
"Bystanders who saw the stabbing occur detained the offender," according to the police statement.
The adult female suspect was injured as she was being detained, police said, who added that she was treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and then taken into custody.
Detectives are investigating the attack, police said.
Security video from the area appeared to show the young victim walking hand-in-hand with a woman before the suspect stabbed her, WLS reported.
Additional video appeared to show bystanders rushing toward the scene to detain the suspect, who was outside the camera's view.
Police have not said if the suspect knew the girl or whether the stabbing was a random attack.
“I am deeply saddened by the senseless stabbing of a 7-year-old child in our neighborhood. My heart goes out to her family, friends, and everyone who is affected by this horrific incident. No child should ever have to experience violence or fear while simply walking down the sidewalk," Chicago Alderman Michelle Harris, who represents the Chatham neighborhood, said in a statement posted online.
Harris also praised the actions of the bystanders who detained the suspect: "Their quick actions may have prevented further harm."
