Posted on 03/12/2006 8:54:11 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
Second Girl Shot In 9 Days In Englewood
(CBS) For the second time in little more than a week, another young girl is shot to death in the same Chicago neighborhood.
It's a crime that has people in the Englewood neighborhood outraged.
Ten-year-old Siretha White was celebrating at her own surprise birthday party Saturday night when bullets pierced the window of a home in the South Side neighborhood killing her.
Just eight days earlier and just blocks away, 14-year old Starkesia Reed was also killed by a stray bullet in her home.
As CBS 2's Rafael Romo reports, the community is pleading for an end to the violence.
Neighbors and friends will always remember the friendly smile of 10-year-old Siretha White. Now they are mourning the girl everybody in the neighborhood called Nugget.
“My sister gave her a surprise party,” said the girl’s mother, Siretha Woods.
About 30 kids were attending a surprise birthday party at 2016 W. 70th Place. Siretha would have been 11 years old on Monday.
The girl’s family says when the shooting started the fifth-grader tried to run to the back of the house where her party was being held.
“She was already on the floor, but she got up because the bullets kept coming, and she tried to run back close to the back, where the bullets weren't coming in. She didn't make it,” said the victim’s aunt, Deanna Woods.
Around 9 p.m., a shooter in a car opened fire and bullets flew in the direction of the home, according to a Police News affairs spokesperson.
One bullet also struck a man in the street. He suffered minor injuries, officials said.
“Members of a street gang pulled up in front and shot at members of a rival street gang who were standing out in front of the house where this party was taking place,” said Chicago Police Department Supt. Phil Cline.
Siretha was pronounced dead at 9:15 p.m. Saturday at Holy Cross Hospital, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
Her death happens only eight days after Starkesia Reed, a 14-year-old girl from the same neighborhood, died in a similar shooting.
“We pray that the guns are found, recovered; the people that are responsible will be punished and we can stop this senseless killing of our innocent children,” said Starkesia’s mother, Denise Reed.
On Sunday, Siretha’s mother called for the killer to come forward.
“Turn yourself in, if we don’t have you already,” Woods said. “I don’t care who you are. I don’t care if you know me. This is not right. This got to stop.”
“Englewood needs to be cleaned up. It needs to be cleaned up fast, and they need to clean it up right now. Because this really just don't make no sense: innocent children,” said Siretha’s aunt, Monia Walker.
Chicago police say they're questioning two suspects in relation to the most recent shooting. A white Cadillac investigators believe was used in the shooting was recovered Sunday in the suburbs.
Police also say the weapon used in the shooting was a Tech-Nine assault weapon, which is considered illegal in this country.
Police say they have some leads but are asking the community for help to find Siretha’s killer, Irving reports. No one is in custody.
Poor girl... :(
Bush did it.
Tragic.
This is very tragic...prayers for her and her family
Why is there still a problem with inner city violence?
Is there much left to say?
Get the criminal who uses it, the gun won't shoot a little girl by itself.
Oh yeah. That plea will work. NOT!
This definitely demonstrates the need to ban .50 caliber rifles and assault weapons.
"Police also say the weapon used in the shooting was a Tech-Nine assault weapon, which is considered illegal in this country".
No they aren't. Pre-1994 "Assault Weapons Ban" ones are legal. And they may be back in production again, I'm not sure if the company that made them went out of business.
With the 1994 ban sunset, it is a matter of state and local laws banning "Assault" type weapons instead of a federal ban.
Round all the gang members up, put them in a bullet proof room, arm them all and let them go at it... the ones that survive can be shot as they come out.
Aren't guns banned in Chicagostan? I mean, really - I know Daley is dumb, but nobody could be that dumb to see that gun control is a total failure.
Police also say the weapon used in the shooting was a Tech-Nine assault weapon, which is considered illegal in this country.
*Well I say take away his licence to carry firearms as a law abiding citizen!/s
But when it comes time for trial, the "outraged" neighbors will be wearing "don't snitch" t-shirts outsde the courthouse like they did in Philly.
Maybe the t-shirts can read "don't snitch" in Spanish!
See, it really is hard out here to be a pimp!
Give us open season on gangbangers and they'll be history in a month or less.
Handguns have been banned in Chicago, btw, since the administration of One-Term (Jane) Byrne. How could this have happened?
Get the rival gangs together and lock them in a bowling alley.
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