A 7-year-old girl was stabbed to death in broad daylight on a Chicago sidewalk after police say a woman she did not know suddenly approached and attacked her from behind.
The victim, identified as Edimari Hernandez Chacon, was walking along South Cottage Grove Avenue in the city’s Chatham neighborhood shortly before noon Saturday when the attack happened.
Chicago police said Edimari was outside near East 86th Street when a woman approached her with a sharp object and stabbed her multiple times in the back.
Surveillance video from the area shows Edimari walking along the sidewalk shortly before the attack.
Moments later, witnesses can be seen rushing toward the scene.
The little girl was critically injured and taken to a nearby children’s hospital.
Despite efforts to save her, Edimari was pronounced dead Saturday afternoon.
Police said the suspect did not know the child.
Investigators have not said what, if anything, may have prompted the attack.
Bystanders who witnessed what happened quickly intervened and detained the woman before she could leave the area.
Police said the suspect suffered injuries while being restrained.
She was taken to a hospital for treatment and was later placed into police custody.
Authorities have not publicly identified the woman, and charges had not been announced as of the latest update.
The killing has left residents in the neighborhood stunned.
One woman who lives in the area said she could not understand how a child so young could become the victim of such violence.
“I just don’t know what this world is coming to,” resident Denesta Freeman said.
Another mother said the killing hit especially hard because her own daughter is the same age.
Local officials also condemned the attack.
Chicago Ald. Michelle Harris said she was “deeply saddened by the senseless stabbing” and thanked the witnesses who stepped in to help.
She said their quick response in detaining the suspect may have prevented anyone else from being hurt.
Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killing.
Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage, speaking with witnesses and working to determine whether there was any reason behind the attack.
This has got to stop. Death penalty for killing a child, unhinged, suffering psychosis or not, if we don’t punish, it never ends. Anyone who kilss is crazy, that’s not an excuse to kill. Gacy was crazy, so was Dahmer, Bundy, ect.
Keep voting for those soft on crime democrats, liberals… Have noone to blame but yourselves.