Neighbor charged with murder of 9-year-old girl in Portage Park shooting
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 9-year-old girl was shot and killed Saturday night in the Portage Park neighborhood, after going to get ice cream for her and her father.
A 43-year-old neighbor has been charged with her murder. He is expected in court Tuesday.
Community activist Andrew Holmes said the father of Serabi Medina had asked her to put her scooter away. Little did he know that would be the last time he would hear his daughter's voice.
Her father's pain could be heard from other neighbors after his 9-year-old daughter was shot and killed right outside of her home.
"I just heard the shots, and then I heard the father screaming, and I called 911," one neighbor said.
"It's unfortunate that you always hear that there was a child was in the mix," another neighbor said.
Police said someone approached a group from across the street on the 3500 block of North Long Avenue around 9:40 pm., and pulled out a handgun, shooting the girl in the head. The shooter was shot in the face when a witness tried to disarm him.
Police recovered a weapon at the scene.
Medina was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition and was pronounced dead a short time later.
The shooter was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition. On Monday, police announced that Michael Goodman, 43, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the girl's death.
Police said he lives right across the street from the little girl and her family.
Holmes said he spoke with Medina's father after she was killed.
"He gave her money to get ice cream. She got ice cream for her and her dad. Then he asked her to put her scooter up, but before she could even have a chance to put her scooter up, this individual ran across the street, discharged that weapon. Now we have a child that's lost," Holmes said.
Police said the girl might have been the intended target. Family members told CBS 2's Chris Tye there was no prior history with the suspect and that the father and daughter just moved to the neighborhood a year ago.
"We're dealing with another baby that hasn't had a chance to go back to school. I talked to her father. He said she just loved to go to school," Holmes said.
Holmes said it was Medina's father who attacked and tried to disarm the shooter. People on the scene say they may have known each other, but police have yet to confirm that. It's unclear who pulled the trigger when the suspect was shot in the face.
"He's not taking it too well, as any parent wouldn't take it too well after they lost a loved one," Holmes said.
Ald. Ruth Cruz (30th) said this isn't the first time the father has lost a loved one due to gun violence.
"About four years ago, he lost his wife, just like he lost his daughter today. Also, his wife was killed outside where the apartment they lived, and now he is mourning the loss of his daughter," she said.
On Monday night, community members came to remember the young girl.
"Serabi was a beautiful, young, vibrant little girl. She was friendly. She always smiled," said Angie Gonzalez Rodriguez, a family member of the victim. "She was kind. She was full of life. She had her whole life ahead of her."
Medina was supposed to enter the fourth grade this year.
"How dare you think you can just take anyone's life. A child?" Gonzalez Rodriguez said. "What did that child do to you or anybody?"
The community rallied to remember a vibrant soul, "B.B."
"Real outgoing little girl, always smiling," said Hector Villafuerta, another family member. "I used to look at her and think, 'Man, she lost her mom ... but this little girl is full of life.'"
Goodman is under police monitoring at a hospital and will appear from his hospital bed in court on Tuesday.