An 8-year old girl was left dead after being caught in the crossfire of a gang shooting in Chicago on Saturday afternoon.
Melissa Ortega was shot in her head, according to a police report, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Ortega and her mother had been walking eastbound on 26th Street near Pulaski Road around 2:55 p.m. when they got caught in the crossfire between the unknown shooter and a member of a gang.
Ortega, a student at Emiliano Zapata Academy, and her mother had been “excited to start a new life in Chicago and build their American Dream,” the GoFundMe fundraiser page for the girl said.
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After reviewing video footage of the incident, investigators discovered that the shooter, who had been wearing all black, unintentionally shot Ortega, according to the report. The shooter’s target had been a 26-year-old man who was part of the group Gangster Two Six.
Chicago, which has a population of roughly 2.7 million people, has faced a crime problem for several years. Over the weekend, four people were left dead, including Ortega, and 23 people were wounded as a result of shootings, according to CBS Chicago. Five people were left dead and 33 wounded as a result of shootings from the prior weekend.
We wake today to the murder of 8-year-old Melissa in Little Village.
Amy and I send our sincerest condolences to this heartbroken family and shattered community.
— Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) January 23, 2022
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the Chicago Teachers Union, and Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown issued statements on Twitter regarding the devastating loss of Ortega.
Ortega was transported to Stroger Hospital and was pronounced dead less than two hours after the shooting, according to both the police report and a statement from the CPD.
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The gang member who was the intended target had previously been arrested 13 times and had two felony convictions, according to the CPD. The man was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
Both Lightfoot and Brown have stated that there is a $10,000 reward for tips that lead to an arrest and a reward of up to $15,000 for tips leading to a conviction.
Lightfoot requested additional federal resources from the Justice Department in December in an attempt to crack down on illegal guns in the city.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Chicago Police Department for a statement but did not receive a response.
