7-year-old boy fatally shot outside his Near West Side home

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

0 4 minutes read

Jaimani Amir Rivera was leaving his Near West Side home to visit a neighbor when he was hit by a stray bullet Tuesday afternoon.

Jaimani, 7, had just reached the sidewalk in front of the building when shots were fired from outside the doors of the apartment complex in the 2300 block of West Jackson Boulevard around 3 p.m.

Officers responded to the call and found him on the ground with a gunshot wound to the chest. They applied pressure to the wound and loaded him into the back of their patrol car, Chicago Police Supt. » Larry Snelling said during a press conference.

Officers took Jaimani to Stroger Hospital, and he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving, police and the Cook County medical examiner's office said.

Police said Jaimani Amir Rivera was leaving his apartment complex to visit a neighbor when he was shot. Sources say an assault rifle was used. Officers took Jaimani in their patrol car to Stroger Hospital, where he died. No one is in custody.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Snelling said the shooting did not appear to be targeted. He said officers were canvassing the area and looking for any video evidence that could help identify the shooter.

“We will not rest until we bring justice to this case,” Snelling said. “Life was snuffed out before he even had the opportunity to live it as it was meant to be.”

Residents of the complex said they have noticed an increase in shootings in the area. They said they believed the shootings were gang-related and were reluctant to leave their homes for fear of being caught in the crossfire.

“Whoever did the shooting, they just took someone's child,” Ethiopia resident Jackson said. “A 7 year old who has nothing to do with what is happening here. We had nothing to do with this, so why come and shoot innocent people? It's crazy.”

Gunshots shattered the windows of a parked Nissan Maxima during Tuesday's attack. “We’ve had enough,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said at the news conference outside Stroger Hospital.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Snelling said the department has increased police patrols in the area where the shooting occurred, but even though arrests have been made, the same offenders are being returned to the streets.

“When we arrest people for violent crimes, we have to prosecute them,” Snelling said. “We have to stop them from going out onto the streets. We cannot allow repeat offenders to return to the streets. It's not just frustrating for Chicago police. … It's frustrating for members of our community. These are wonderful people living in these communities, and many of them are prisoners in their own homes. »

“It is unfortunate that a mother and father, who are doing what they are supposed to do for their 7 year old and raising their child, that their child cannot even go out on the sidewalk without being hit by gunfire. random fire. »

We are deeply saddened by the tragic shooting death of a 7-year-old child today. Our thoughts are with the family and all those affected by the senseless violence. We are committed to seeking justice and will work tirelessly with @Chicago_Police to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

— Cook County State's Attorney's Office (@cookcountysao) June 18, 2024

Sources tell the Sun-Times that an assault rifle may have been used in the attack. At least 11 shell casings were found at the scene, an officer reported.

Mayor Brandon Johnson mentioned during a press conference that the weapon used in the shooting was illegal.

“We’ve had enough,” Johnson said. “We have had enough. We're not pointing fingers at anyone, we all need to get to work and decide what kind of city we ultimately want to be: a city where kids can get up, walk, bike, and play, or a city that has allowed weapons to enter this city to terrorize us.

“My condolences to the mother and father and those who love this baby. The grief in this city has become more and more unbearable. This is no longer a tragedy. It’s about changing the way of life of certain individuals in this city who have sowed terror, trauma and torment.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling at a press conference following the shooting of 7-year-old Jaimani Amir Rivera. “It is unfortunate that a mother and father, who are doing what they are supposed to do for their 7 year old and raising their child, that their child cannot even go out on the sidewalk without being hit by gunfire. random fire,” Snelling said.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

No one was reported in custody.

Snelling said that so far this year, 172 juveniles have been victims of gun violence in Chicago.

The shooting followed a violent Father's Day weekend, where 72 people were shot and injured. Two mass shootings occurred within an hour of each other shortly after 12:01 a.m. Monday, injuring seven in Englewood and five in Humboldt Park, including a 15-year-old girl.

Three weeks ago, Reign Ware, 5, was fatally shot a block from Tuesday's shooting as she left a party with her father in the 200 block of South Campbell Avenue. Reign was sitting in a car when someone in a black Jeep Cherokee pulled up and opened fire.