A seven-year-old Chicago girl was stabbed to death in broad daylight while walking down the street by an unknown woman.
The horror unfolded just before noon on Saturday when the suspect approached the little girl with a sharp object and stabbed her ‘multiple times in the back,’ according to the Chicago Police Department.
Bystanders rushed to the girl’s aid and detained the assailant. Emergency responders transported the girl to Comer Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The suspect was also injured when she was apprehended and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The woman has been placed in police custody with charges pending. It is unclear if the suspect had a relationship with the girl or what unfolded before the shocking stabbing.
Surveillance footage obtained by NBC Chicago showed several witnesses running to chase down the suspect before police arrived.
A large police presence quickly amassed following the attack on Cottage Grove Avenue in the Chatham neighborhood.
Police blocked off the sidewalk as the suspect appeared to lie on the ground. A video shared to the Citizen app showed emergency responders putting the young girl on a stretcher.
A seven-year-old girl was fatally stabbed on Cottage Grove Avenue in the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago on Saturday
The stabbing prompted a massive emergency response as video footage showed emergency responders tending to the girl
Bystanders rushed to detain the suspect until police arrived. She was taken to the hospital for minor injuries and charges are pending
Paramedics pushed the stretcher across the street to a nearby ambulance. A scooter was left on the sidewalk.
Local ABC affiliate WLS reported that the girl’s family was seen outside the hospital crying and embracing one another for hours after the stabbing.
‘That poor innocent baby. Chicago needs to wake up. We all need to wake up,’ one woman in the area at the time of the attack told WLS.
‘I never thought it would get to this point. These kids nowadays are not getting to live their lives because of what’s happening. Killing, shooting, it’s ridiculous,’ Denesta Freeman, another woman who passed by the scene, added.
The incident has sent shockwaves on the internet, but many have praised the bystanders who bravely chased down the assailant.
Police were seen blocking off the street and sidewalk following the incident
Emergency responders helped the girl onto a stretcher and brought her to an ambulance. She was pronounced dead at the hospital
‘Thank you to the people that stepped in. My sincerest condolences to the family of the little girl,’ one comment on social media read.
‘Being heroes instead of recording. Those who tried helping need to be awarded,’ another added.
‘Thank you to the bystanders who chased the offender and were able to disarm and detain her. You are all HEROES!’ a third agreed.
The Chicago Police Department told the Daily Mail on Saturday night that it has no further updates on when official charges will be filed.
