Halloween is supposed to be a magical time for children to dress up as their favorite characters and score as much candy as possible. However, it became a living nightmare for one Chicago family after a 7-year-old girl, Giselle Zamago, was shot while trick-or-treating.
Zamago, dressed in a Minnie Mouse costume, was struck by a bullet in the neck and upper chest while walking with her father down the street in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, a popular trick-or-treating spot. She is now in critical but stable condition at Stroger Hospital.
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Giselle Zamago Shot While Trick-or-Treating by Gang Member in Chicago
According to police, a 15-year-old boy was taken into custody and has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of attempted battery through discharge of a firearm.
The teenager was allegedly standing in a nearby alley, wearing a Jason Halloween mask, and fired at least seven bullets in attempts to strike a rival Latin King gang member.
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The gunman fled the scene, but the incident was caught on security cameras.
“Incidents like this don’t just touch those living in the specific neighborhood on a certain side of town, this is a crime that touches all of us,” said Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said during a news conference. “Together we can be one set of eyes, one set of ears.”
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“I came here to brief you on the progress being made to reduce violence in the city of Chicago. But none of that matters if parents that live in certain communities can’t even taken their children out on Halloween. There’s no place for this savagery in our city.”
Giselle Zamago’s family said in a statement that they were “grateful for the outpouring of love and support shown by all of Chicago and the nation.”