CHICAGO, IL – In a shocking incident of random gun violence in Chicago, a 7-year-old boy, Jai’mani Amir Rivera, was fatally shot in the chest. The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon, soon after the young Jai’mani had stepped out of his apartment and was out on the sidewalk, according to police reports. Officers responding to the shooting first provided emergency aid to the boy before rushing him to the hospital, where he was ultimately declared dead.
On Friday, police announced charges against a 16-year-old suspect in connection with the fatal shooting. The charges included first-degree murder and discharging a firearm resulting in the death of the victim. The identity of the minor suspect has been withheld by the police.
Police Superintendent Larry Snelling praised the detectives for their excellent work that led to the suspect’s arrest barely 48 hours after the shooting. The suspect’s whereabouts before and after the shooting were charted through surveillance footage and information received from the local community. A crucial anonymous tip helped identify the teen believed to be solely responsible for the incident, noted Antoinette Ursitti, Chief of Detectives, Chicago Police.
The investigators recovered thirteen rifle casings from the crime scene, but the firearm, practically an assault rifle, has not been found yet. The police, however, have been unable to determine a motive for the shooting, clearly indicating that Jai’mani was not the intended target, stated Ursitti.
At the time of the incident, the suspect reportedly had an active warrant for a court no-show on unrelated charges. The fugitive was located at his Chicago residence and arrested on Thursday afternoon by members of the Chicago police and the U.S. Marshals’ Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force. Police also recovered an unrelated stolen weapon from the arrest scene.
A juvenile detention hearing for the accused is scheduled for Saturday.