Chicago: 7-year-old girl fatally stabbed by stranger

A 7-year-old girl, Edi Mari Hernandez Chacon, was fatally stabbed in Chicago on Saturday morning while walking with her older sister. The attack occurred around 11:55 a.m. on South Cottage Grove Avenue in the East Chatham neighborhood of the South Side.

Witnesses intervened and restrained the suspect at the scene until police arrived. The suspect has been identified as 48-year-old Shavon Gayden, a Chicago resident, who is now facing charges of first-degree murder. Authorities stated that Gayden and the victim were strangers, and a motive has not yet been established.

Following the attack, the victim was rushed to Comer Children’s Hospital but could not be saved. Gayden was also injured during the confrontation with bystanders and was treated at a hospital. A court hearing for Gayden has been scheduled for October 7.