A Humboldt Park home turned into a crime scene Thursday evening after an 8-year-old reportedly found a gun and fired it, hitting a 7-year-old boy in the arm, according to authorities. The younger child was rushed to Stroger Hospital in serious condition.
What Police Say
The shooting unfolded just after 7 p.m. in the 3200-block of West Division Street, according to a Chicago Police Department statement cited by ABC7 Chicago. Investigators recovered a firearm at the scene, and Area Five detectives are leading the investigation. No one was in custody at the time of the station's report.
Unsecured Guns And Young Children
The incident is the latest in a string of cases in which very young children have gotten their hands on unsecured guns, with sometimes devastating results. Last July, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that a 2-year-old in Humboldt Park was wounded after discovering a handgun inside a residence. In that earlier case, adults connected to the home faced misdemeanor child-endangerment charges. Episodes like these have repeatedly fueled calls for safer firearm storage and more community outreach aimed at preventing accidental shootings.
Investigation Ongoing
Chicago police said additional details were not immediately available, according to ABC7 Chicago. Detectives recovered the weapon, processed the scene, and canvassed the area for witnesses and video, officials said. Authorities have not yet indicated whether any adult could face charges in connection with Thursday's shooting.
