A 5-year-old boy girl and 7-year-old boy playing on an Englewood street were shot in their legs late Monday night, the two among more than 40 wounded in shootings over the holiday weekend.The two were in the 5500 block of South Hermitage about 11 p.m. when at least one person started shooting, hitting the two children. The younger was first taken to Saint Bernard Hospital and Healthcare Center by family members before being transferred to Comer Children's Hospital. The older was taken to Comer Children's Hospital by paramedics.
Police lay markers next two shell casings in the middle of Hermitage and more markers next to a separate location of shell casings further north in the block, on the sidewalk. Officers taped off Hermitage from Garfield Boulevard to 56th Street as officers scanned the street for evidence. Family members gathered at Comer Children's Hospital, where both kids were taken.
Relatives said the kids were outside playing with fireworks when at least one person started shooting, though there was at least one other person with the shooter. They had emerged from a gangway looking suspicious, relatives said, and the shooting started not long after that. Though police said the boy was 7, relatives said he was 8.
The girl and the boy, who are cousins, were playing outside in a group of children when someone came out of a gang way and fired shots, according to family. Dozens of people were on the block, and people scattered.
The girl was the first one the family realized was shot. Her cousin, Darryl Smith, drove her to Comer Children's Hospital.
"I literally ran through every red light," he said as he stood outside Comer's early Tuesday morning.
A couple of minutes later, relatives realized that the 8-year-old was also shot. An ambulance took him to the hospital. Both children were shot in the leg. The boy was in surgery because his ankle broke as a result of his injury.
The attacks raised the number of people shot in the city over the Fourth of July weekend to at least 43, according to data collected by the Tribune. Among those, three people were fatally shot over the weekend holiday.
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