An 11-year-old boy found himself in the line of fire at Franklin Park in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood, leading to him being struck in the lower back on Saturday evening. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the incident occurred in the 1400 block of South Tripp Avenue around 5:30 p.m.
Following the shooting, the child was transported to Stroger Hospital. The Chicago Police described his condition as good at the time. Unfortunately, with no suspects in custody, Area 4 detectives are piecing together what transpired, ABC7 Chicago reported.
Details surrounding the motive or circumstances leading up to the shooting remain unclear. In a part of the city where the sound of gunfire is not uncommon, the safety of playgrounds and parks, those rare sanctuaries in the urban sprawl, has been thrown into question yet again.
Efforts by law enforcement to locate those responsible are underway, as residents are left to hope for a swift resolution. This is another sobering reminder that the specter of gun violence often looms large, even over the most innocent of places in Chicago's neighborhoods.
