A 16-year-old boy is facing charges for possession of a stolen vehicle that may be connected to the shooting of two other boys in South Shore, according to Chicago police. The incidents unfolded into a standoff that required a SWAT response.
The boy, whose identity has not been released due to his juvenile status, is alleged to have been in a stolen car tied to the shootings. According to FOX 32 Chicago, the shootings occurred Monday afternoon when a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old were pursued and fired upon by individuals in a black Dodge Charger. The victims were found in a stolen black Kia, suffering gunshot wounds to the abdomen and buttocks, respectively.
The two youngsters were rushed to Comer Children’s Hospital in serious and good condition, although their identities have not been disclosed publicly. Several hours after the shooting, a black Dodge Charger was abandoned as two people fled into a nearby building, which set off the SWAT incident at approximately 5:20 p.m., as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Pending charges also hang over a yet-unnamed adult suspect associated with these events. Police confirmed that the suspects taken into custody were involved with aggravated battery and possession of a stolen vehicle. The Charger and the bullet-riddled Kia were located close to the shooting scene and an alley in the 7300 block of South Kenwood Avenue, respectively.
Local reactions to the shooting were tinged with a sense of weary familiarity. "This s - - - doesn’t amaze me," a long-term resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Chicago Sun-Times. Meanwhile, the mother of one injured child refused to comment, citing fears of retribution.
Following these events, the two injured boys become among the latest juvenile statistics of gun violence in the city. The Chicago Sun-Times indicates they are the 12th and 13th children under 15 to be shot in Chicago this year, a stark comparison to last year's 25 by the same time, which included four fatalities.
