11-year-old Chicago girl shot in head dies; murder charges filed

CHICAGO -- A 19-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in the killing of an 11-year-old Chicago girl who was shot in the head over the weekend.

Chicago Police charged suspect Antwan C. Jones in the shooting of Takiya Holmes. She died Tuesday.

Chicago police said Wednesday Jones lives across the street from where the shooting took place and saw three people “he believed didn’t belong in the area.” He allegedly opened fire, and a stray bullet struck the child, who was riding in a van with her mother.

The incident was caught on video, and police gang investigators were able to identify some of the people near the scene. Community members offered up the name of the alleged shooter, who turned himself in Tuesday night, police said.

Takiya Holmes was one of at least three children shot in Chicago in recent days.

Police say 2-year-old Lavontay White was fatally shot Tuesday when someone opened fire on a vehicle he was in with two adults. Police suspect the man in the vehicle who also died was the target of a gang hit. And authorities said Tuesday that a 12-year-old girl also shot over the weekend remains in critical condition.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson called on state legislators to strengthen penalties for suspected gun offenders.

“I’m publicly pleading with our state legislators to give us the tools we need to make them think twice about picking up a gun and pulling the trigger,” Johnson said.