A seven-year-old girl has died after being stabbed several times by a woman on Chicago’s South Side, police said. The woman was taken into custody after bystanders intervened at the scene.
The attack happened at about 11.55am on Saturday in the 8600 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue, in the Chatham neighbourhood. Police said the child was walking along the pavement when an adult woman approached her and used a sharp object to stab her repeatedly in the back.
The girl was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The Cook County medical examiner identified her as Edi Marie Hernandez Chacon.
Witnesses detained the woman until officers arrived. She suffered injuries during the incident and was taken to hospital for treatment before being placed in police custody; her injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Police said the woman was not known to the child. The motive for the attack remains unclear, and no charges have been announced.
Area Two detectives are continuing to investigate the fatal stabbing.
