11-year-old girl shot, seriously wounded in West Pullman: ‘We can’t really let our kids come out and play’on June 7, 2021 at 11:31 am

A drive-by shooting left an 11-year-old girl seriously wounded Sunday night in the West Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side.

Witnesses told police someone opened fire from a red car about 9 p.m. in the 11700 block of South Michigan, according to Chicago police. The girl was hit once in the lower back and a family member drove her to Roseland Community Hospital, where she was listed in serious condition.

She was among more than 50 people hit by gunfire over the weekend across Chicago.

Officers taped off the intersection of 117th place and Michigan Avenue. A handful of evidence markers littered the road.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Ashley Santiago said she was enjoying the night breeze in her car in front of her home when she saw a woman walking down Michigan with her kids. Suddenly, she heard gunshots.

“They just went off. I ducked down in my car and I was like, ‘That’s not fireworks,’ ” she said. “I heard someone got shot, and I thought, ‘I hope it’s not the lady that I just seen with the kids.’ “

Ashley’s aunt, Alexandra Santiago, said she heard the shots from inside their home. She told her young children to get away from the windows and get on the floor.

The women say shootings in the area are “an everyday thing, without fail. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is.”

Alexandra Santiago said the violence in the area concerns her greatly, not only for herself, but for her loved ones.

“I worry for my mom. When I step out or go to work, I worry for myself. These are our windows right here,” she said. “We’re all the time throwing ourselves down, saying, ‘Go into the other room, go into the dining room.’ ”

The two mothers lamented not being able to let their children out to play whenever they want.

“We can’t really let our kids come out and come play because stuff like this is happening,” Ashley Santiago said.

No one was in custody for the shooting.

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