15-Year-Old Boy To Remain In Custody For Shooting Of 7-Year-Old Girl On Halloween
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Juvenile Court judge has ordered a 15-year-old boy to remain in custody, after he was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a 7-year-old girl who was trick-or-treating in Little Village on Halloween.
The teen, whose name is not being released because of his age, was back in court Monday morning for a hearing before Judge Patricia Mendoza, who decided he will remain held at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. He faces two felony counts of attempted first degree murder and two felony counts of aggravated battery.
The boy is accused of shooting 7-year-old Gisselle Zamago as she was innocently dressed as Minnie Mouse while trick-or-treating with her father and siblings on Halloween along 26th Street near Lawndale Avenue in Little Village.
Police said the 15-year-old, a purported gang member, was chasing a rival gang member when he started shooting, hitting Gisselle in the neck and abdomen. She was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. Her family said Sunday her condition is improving, but she still faces a difficult recovery.
The judge in the case granted Cook County prosecutors' request for access to the victim's medical records
Investigators said the boy was aiming at a man in his 30s who was standing near Gisselle. That man was shot in the hand.
Police said, after the shooting, the 15-year-old boy who fired the shots ran into an alley, threw the gun in a trash can, and then urinated on his hands in an effort to get rid of gunpowder residue. He also later removed the hoodie he was wearing at the time of the shooting, and gave it to a friend to hide. Police have recovered the clothing and the gun used in the shooting.
Meantime, Gisselle's family is praying for her recovery, and calling for justice.
Gisselle's cousin, Areli Garcia, said she couldn't speak when she first saw the 7-year-old lying in her hospital bed.
"I just started crying. I felt sad," Areli said. "It was going through my mind, why her? Why that got to happen to her? She didn't deserve it."
Now, everyone just hopes that Gisselle will be coming home soon to her three brothers and her extended family.
"She's really an innocent and happy child," said cousin Katelyn Hernandez.
And Gisselle is a child whose sudden absence has left a huge void in her home.
"We love her and we're just waiting for her to come home back," Garcia said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Gisselle, and has raised more than $8,000 as of early Monday afternoon.
The 15-year-old charged in the shooting was due back in court on Nov. 26.
