Teen charged in connection to shooting of 2-year-old boy in North Lawndale

Chicago: A 17-year-old boy has been charged in connection with the shooting of a 2-year-old boy in North Lawndale. This incident happened Thursday afternoon in an apartment.

The little boy was shot multiple times around 4 p.m. and is in critical condition, according to the police. It’s heartbreaking to think about.

The teen faces serious charges, including obstructing justice and child endangerment. He’s being treated as a juvenile and was set to appear in court the next day.

When the police arrived, they found a chaotic scene. Officers were all over the place outside a four-flat on West 14th Street. You could feel the tension in the air.

A woman was sitting on the steps, wrapped in a blanket, clearly distraught. She kept saying, “I don’t know,” as if she couldn’t process what was happening.

Another woman was on the phone, urgently telling someone, “Your grandson got shot.” It was a tough moment, and you could see how much pain everyone was in.

Before heading to the hospital, she wanted to grab something from the apartment, but the police wouldn’t let her in. They had turned it into a crime scene.

Across the street, officers were looking at a bloody towel with cartoon drawings on it, which someone had placed on a squad car. A passerby asked if the child had survived, but the officers didn’t have answers.

Another woman rushed up, claiming the building was hers, but she couldn’t get in either. Someone even gave her a sweatshirt to help keep her warm.

Eventually, an officer approached her, saying they found a weapon in the apartment and needed to check for more. He handed her a clipboard for a consent form.

She hesitated but felt she had no choice. “No,” she said, “But I don’t really have a choice.” It’s tough when you feel trapped like that.

If she didn’t sign, they’d have to get a search warrant. It’s a lot to deal with in such a stressful situation.

Meanwhile, detectives were still piecing together what happened. Just 45 minutes earlier, two men were shot in a drive-by in Humboldt Park, adding to the chaos in the area.

One man was shot in the arm and taken to the hospital in good condition, while the other was in critical condition after being shot multiple times in the back. It’s just a lot of violence happening all at once.

Detectives are still investigating both shootings, and as of now, no one is in custody. The community is left wondering what’s next.