A young girl was left in critical condition early Saturday morning after being shot inside a home near West 64th and South Mozart streets in Chicago's Marquette Park neighborhood. Police say one person of interest has been taken into custody, and a gun was recovered from the scene, though the girl's exact age and the circumstances of the shooting remain unclear.
According to ABC7 Chicago, officers responded to the home in the early morning hours and found the girl suffering from a gunshot wound. She was transported to UChicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital in Hyde Park, where she remained in critical condition. The Hyde Park hospital operates the only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center on Chicago's South Side, according to UChicago Medicine, making it the region's primary destination for youth suffering severe traumatic injuries.
Area One Detectives are now leading the investigation, per the same ABC7 report. Those detectives, who are tasked with investigating major felony cases and homicides within the 8th District, operate out of Chicago Police Department Area 1 headquarters at 51st Street and Wentworth Avenue. The 8th District includes the Chicago Lawn neighborhood and is headquartered at 3420 W. 63rd Street and patrolled by Commander Bryan Spreyne.
Storage Laws Loom Over Unanswered Questions
Authorities have not said whether the shooting was intentional or accidental, nor have they released the girl's age or clarified the relationship between the person of interest and the victim. Those gaps leave open whether Illinois's child access prevention statute could come into play. Under state law, updated effective January 2026, the statute addresses cases in which a minor is likely to gain access to a firearm without lawful permission and that access results in death or great bodily harm, according to the Illinois State Police.
An initial violation of that law carries a Class C misdemeanor charge with a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000 when an improperly stored firearm is accessed by a minor and causes death or great bodily harm, the state police note. Chicago's municipal code also includes Section 8-20-050, a firearm-storage ordinance for homes with children under 18, according to Chicago Guns Matter. Whether either law applies to Saturday's shooting has not been determined.
A Neighborhood Grappling With Repeated Gun Violence
The shooting adds to a string of violent incidents in and around Chicago Lawn and neighboring South Side communities. Hoodline previously reported on a 53-year-old man left critical after a shooting on West 63rd Street in Chicago Lawn in late August, and on a 28-year-old man who died after a fatal shooting and driving himself to the hospital in early September.
Research from the University of Chicago Crime Lab shows gun violence is the leading cause of death for young people in America. The Crime Lab also describes community violence intervention programs.
No further details about the girl's condition, the identity of the person in custody, or potential charges had been released as of Saturday morning. Hoodline will update this story as more information becomes available.
