So far this year, more than 280 children have been shot in Chicago, 35 of whom have died from their injuries, WLS-TV reported.

Chicago: 58 shot during bloody holiday weekend, including 8 children; 4-year-old boy killed by stray bullets

PAUL SACCA

SEPTEMBER 06, 2021

   At least 58 people have been shot in Chicago during Labor Day weekend, including eight children, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Five people have been killed in shootings since Friday evening, including a 4-year-old boy who was shot in the head. 

Around 9 p.m. on Friday, stray bullets sprayed through the window of a home in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago. Two bullets struck 4-year-old Mychal Moultry Jr. in the head. He was getting a haircut at the time, according to Rahman Muhammad, deputy chief of the Chicago Police Department's Detective Division. The boy's father held him until paramedics arrived to take him to the Comer Children's hospital.

"It's hard enough with this mom and dad sitting in the hospital watching this little fella with tubes all down his body. He is trying to breathe," community activist Andrew Holmes told WLS-TV about the boy when he was in the hospital. 

The 4-year-old boy, who was visiting Chicago from Alabama, was pronounced dead on Sunday.

The Chicago Police Department is asking the public for help in the case to find those who committed the crime. Those with information can submit a tip on the Chicago Police Department website. 

The Saint Sabina Catholic Church and the All Kids Matter organization are offering up to a $9,000 reward to bring the shooter or shooters to justice. 

"We're sick and tired every day," an activist with All Kids Matter said. "We're staking this hospital out night after night. All these children get shot throughout Chicago."

There were eight children shot during the bloody weekend in Chicago, including six kids shot in 12 hours from Saturday night into Sunday morning. Two of the wounded minors were recovering at Comer Children's hospital as of Sunday morning.

So far this year, more than 280 children have been shot in Chicago, 35 of whom have died from their injuries, WLS-TV reported. 

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown gave an explanation why children are often the victims during a press conference on Monday.

"It's always some other offender, gang member, criminal network, some beef, and they're targeting some adult, and young people are nearby and they are shot as innocent bystanders," Brown said. 

Supt. Brown said the department seized 64 illegally possessed guns over the weekend. 

Last weekend, at least 48 people were shot in Chicago, including six who were killed. 

For the month of August, there were 78 homicides in Chicago, which is 14 more than August 2020. There have been 534 homicides in the city, according to data provided by the Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago had a total of 775 murders in 2020. 

There were 372 shootings in August 2021, down slightly from 372 last year, according to Fox News.