A 17-year-old girl who was shot outside a South Loop Jewel-Osco in Chicago has been identified as a missing homeless teen from Minnesota, outlets reported earlier this week. The incident unfolded late Tuesday night at the grocery store located at 1224 S. Wabash Ave, according to FOX 32 Chicago. The teenager, initially treated at the scene, was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and is reportedly in good condition.
Charged in connection with the shooting is 29-year-old Raven Aikins, who officials say was involved in a "verbal altercation" with the teen. During the argument, the girl is said to have poured water on Aikins, who then purportedly drew a firearm and shot her in the thigh. Aikins, a security guard for Jewel-Osco, fled the scene but was arrested 15 minutes after the incident on the 8100 block of South Saginaw Avenue, as CBS News Chicago detailed.
"That’s horrible. That could’ve been anyone. Hopefully they find who did it," resident DJ Singh, who lives two blocks away from the Jewel, told FOX 32 Chicago. The community has been left shaken, with residents expressing concern over the presence of children out at night and the absence of safe spaces and guidance. In the wake of the shooting, another resident, opting to remain anonymous, noted the lack of structure for local youth: "There’s no place for them, no guidance. If there’s no training, they pick it up off the streets," he said to FOX 32 Chicago.
Following the shooting, the missing person alert for the Minnesota teen was cancelled. "She was located. Thank you to everyone who assisted in locating and for sharing the information," the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension stated. Efforts are being made to reconnect the teenager with her family, highlighted by the administrator of a Facebook page dedicated to missing person cases. As for Aikins, she has a detention hearing scheduled for Friday and has been charged with one felony count of aggravated battery/discharge of a firearm. Jewel-Osco still has to respond to inquiries regarding their use of force policy and whether security guards are authorized to carry firearms. An examination of the company's website revealed no clear policy on arming security personnel.
