A tragic incident unfolded in Chicago over the weekend when an 8-year-old girl was fatally shot by a neighbor who had been aggravated by the noise of children playing. The young girl, Serabi Medina, was returning home from an ice cream truck on her scooter around 9:40 p.m. Saturday when the assailant, a resident from an apartment across the street, approached and shot her in the head.
The shooter, known for his complaints about the noise made by neighborhood children, was immediately tackled by the girl’s father, who had witnessed the horrifying event. According to a witness account obtained from local sources, the shooter was injured above his left eye during the altercation and his firearm was retrieved from the scene.
Medina was rushed to Stroger Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The shooter was transported to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition. As of now, no charges have been filed.
Residents of the neighborhood were left in shock and grief. Megan Kelley, a neighbor and acquaintance of Medina’s family, shared that the shooter was known for his intolerance towards children playing outside. She added that the community generally tried to steer clear of him due to his irritable demeanor.
Kelley further revealed that this was not the first time the family had been touched by gun violence. Medina’s mother was killed in a shooting incident in 2019. The community has since rallied around the family, leaving flowers, stuffed animals, and sunflowers near the scene of the shooting in memory of the young girl.
Another neighbor, identified only as James, remembered Medina as a lively child who was often seen riding her scooter around the neighborhood. He expressed his sorrow over the tragic incident, stating that she didn’t deserve such a fate. Medina was set to start fourth grade at Reinberg Elementary School this fall.
The Chicago school district expressed their condolences in a statement, saying they were devastated by the loss of another young life. The statement also extended the thoughts and condolences of the entire Chicago Public Schools family to those affected by the tragedy.
This incident was part of a violent weekend in Chicago, with police reporting a total of 27 people shot in 25 separate incidents between Friday evening and Sunday night. The weekend’s shootings resulted in seven fatalities.