A person of interest is now in custody in relation to the tragic shooting that claimed the life of 7-year-old Jai’Mani Amir Rivera earlier this week in Chicago's Near West Side. According to the Chicago Tribune, while details remain somewhat sparse and no charges had yet been officially filed as of Thursday evening, the investigation is progressing following the boy's death on Tuesday.
The young boy was shot around 3 p.m. Tuesday while simply stepping out of his family’s apartment. Located in the 2300 block of West Jackson Boulevard, he walked out to visit a neighbor when the shots were fired, leaving him with a critical wound. Taken in a police vehicle to Stroger Hospital, the boy was pronounced dead within the hour, says the Sun-Times. An autopsy would later confirm that Jai’Mani died from a rifle round to the torso, marking the incident a homicide.
Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling detailed to reporters that officers provided immediate aid to the child and have been actively canvassing for evidence, including video that might aid in the case. The Sun-Times disclosed from sources that an assault-style rifle may be the involved weapon, identified by at least 11 casings found at the scene. The investigation led to an arrest on Thursday, although the presence or recovery of any weapon during the arrest is still unclear.
In remembering the young victim, Jai’Mani's aunt, Vanessa Rivera, shared her grief, characterizing him as an "outgoing" child who harbored enthusiasm for football, a game he'll never play. "We didn't lose a gang member on the streets, we lost a 7-year-old kid," Rivera said in a statement obtained by the Chicago Tribune. A vigil brought together over a hundred participants who collectively mourned and demanded justice for Jai'mani.
The family, hoping to manage the unforeseen expenses from this tragedy, has started a GoFundMe which has attracted more than $18,000 in donations toward a $50,000 goal, as of Thursday evening. This grim tally brings into sharp focus the escalating violence affecting Chicago's youth, with Superintendent Snelling, indicating that Jai'mani was the eighth child aged 15 or younger to be fatally shot in the city this year, according to data cited by the Sun-Times. In 2024 alone, at least 172 juveniles have been victims of gunfire in Chicago.
