Family mourns 7-year-old boy shot and killed on Chicago's West Side
CHICAGO (CBS) – Friends and family gathered on Wednesday to mourn the death of a 7-year-old boy who was gunned down outside his Near West Side home on Tuesday.
The boy, Jai'mani Amir Rivera, was shot in the chest around 3 p.m. on Tuesday while exiting the building in the Oakley Square Apartments complex in the 2300 block of West Jackson Boulevard.
On Wednesday afternoon, the boy's family and supporters gathered at the spot of the shooting to release balloons in his honor. Some of the balloons were adorned with Spider-Man, his favorite comic book character.
Rivera was going to visit a neighbor when he reached the sidewalk, and someone started shooting in his direction. Police sources said 13 shots were fired from a rifle.
The organization "Hug a Child, Make a Change" held the balloon release on Wednesday. The group is dedicated to gun violence prevention.
"It's critical that this person turn themself in," said Saleshea Peterson, with the organization. "Mother, father, grandmothers, whoever is harboring this person, they need to turn him in."
Jai'mani's aunt, Vanessa Rivera, spoke at the balloon release while fighting back tears.
"We need justice for our nephew," she said. "He was a very outgoing kid, only 7, about to start football this season. He got his number he wanted. They got his jersey. All we ask as a family, from his parents, his immediate family, is to give us our peace, our privacy and justice for my nephew. He was more than a nephew to me. I love my nephew and the person that took my nephew's life is going to pay for this."
Jai'mani was a student at Marvin Camras Children's Engineering Elementary School in Belmont Cragin. In a statement, Chicago Public Schools said:
"We are devastated to learn about the loss of this young child. The thoughts and condolences of the entire Chicago Public Schools (CPS) family are with all those impacted by this tragic death."
Police don't believe the boy was the intended target of the shooting. Officers have been canvasing the area to look for any video in hopes of identifying the shooter.
Father of woman shot, killed in same complex attends vigil
In the very same apartment complex, a woman, Nicole Watson, was shot and killed in an eerily similar fashion just about a year ago.
Watson's family and Jai'mani's are now tragically connected through the loss of a loved one by stray bullet at the same place.
Paul Watson, Nicole Watson's father, said it was important for him to be at the vigil for Jai'mani.
"When I heard the news, it was totally a flashback from a year ago," he said.
Paul Watson led a vigil in the same apartment complex after his daughter was killed there.
"We have similar circumstances," said Paul Watson, "how we both lost a child in shooting accident that our child had no involvement in."
Nicole Watson, 44, was getting into her car with her 13-year-old son, Jacob, whom she had just picked up from her parents' residence in the complex, on May 9, 2023. A car came the wrong direction down one-way-westbound Van Buren Street and several shots came through the fence.
Nicole Watson was shot and killed. Jacob was also shot, and was hospitalized for several months with a serious head injury.
He just graduated from eighth grade.
"My thought was I need to show the parents support, because I know what I went through—and I know what they're about to go through," said Paul Watson. "Losing a child is really hard."
No arrests have been made in either case.
In 2022, the city began providing financial assistance to families directly impacted by gun violence in five communities. On Thursday, the city will expand that financial assistance program to 10 neighborhoods, providing about $6.4 million to victims.
