Edi Mari Hernandez Chacon died after a woman allegedly attacked her Saturday morning on the South Side, authorities said.
CHICAGO, IL — Authorities have identified a 7-year-old girl who was fatally stabbed while walking on a sidewalk on Chicago’s South Side, as police continued investigating what led to the deadly attack.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified the child as Edi Mari Hernandez Chacon. Chicago police said the stabbing happened just before noon Saturday in the 8600 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue in the Chatham area. A woman was taken into custody after witnesses intervened, according to police.
Police said Edi was walking outside at about 11:55 a.m. when a woman approached her and attacked her with a sharp object. The girl suffered multiple stab wounds and was rushed to Comer Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Authorities had not publicly identified the woman in custody as of early Sunday.
Several people who witnessed the attack intervened and detained the woman before police took her into custody, authorities said. The woman was injured during the confrontation with bystanders and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Police described her injuries as not life-threatening.
Surveillance video obtained by NBC Chicago showed people rushing toward the area after the attack and others pursuing a person away from the scene. Police said witnesses helped detain the woman. Investigators have not released additional details about the circumstances leading up to the stabbing.
Early police accounts did not establish a motive. Authorities also had not announced criminal charges against the woman by early Sunday. Police initially said it was unclear whether the woman knew the child, while later reporting from NBC Chicago said police described the woman as someone who did not know her.
The killing prompted a large police response around South Cottage Grove Avenue as investigators worked at the scene Saturday. Detectives with Chicago police’s Area Two were assigned to the investigation. Authorities have released few details beyond the basic sequence of events and the child’s identification.
Edi’s death was confirmed by the Cook County medical examiner’s office hours after the attack. Authorities have not publicly released further information about her family or the circumstances that brought her to the area where she was attacked.
The identity of the woman in custody, any possible charges and a possible motive remained publicly unconfirmed early Sunday. Chicago police said the investigation was continuing.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 4, 2026.