A 7-year-old girl was fatally stabbed in broad daylight while walking with her older sister on Chicago’s South Side, leaving her family grieving and demanding justice.
Eddimar Paola Hernández Chacón was walking along South Cottage Grove Avenue in the East Chatham neighborhood shortly before noon Saturday, Oct. 3, when prosecutors say she was suddenly attacked by a woman she did not know.
Police identified the suspect as 48-year-old Shavon Gayden.
According to authorities, Eddimar and her teenage sister had gone to a nearby store to pay a phone bill and were walking hand-in-hand when Gayden allegedly approached them.
Prosecutors said Gayden had reportedly threatened an employee at another nearby business shortly before the attack.
She then allegedly crossed paths with the sisters and stabbed Eddimar multiple times in the back.
The child was rushed to Comer Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Police have not announced a motive, and authorities have said there is no indication Gayden knew Eddimar or her family before the attack.
Witnesses quickly intervened after the stabbing.
Bystanders restrained Gayden until Chicago police officers arrived and took her into custody.
Gayden suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the confrontation and was taken to a hospital.
She has since been charged with one count of first-degree murder.
Gayden was initially expected to appear in court Monday, but the hearing was delayed because she remained hospitalized.
A judge ordered her detained while the case proceeds, with another hearing scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 7.
The allegations against Gayden have not yet been proven in court.
Court records show she had previous encounters with law enforcement before Saturday’s killing, including past cases involving assault and battery.
Investigators are continuing to examine what happened in the minutes leading up to the attack.
Meanwhile, Eddimar’s family is struggling to understand why the little girl was targeted.
Loved ones described her as a happy child with big dreams.
Her stepfather said she had a bright personality and a future her family was excited to watch unfold.
Her mother, Estefany Hernandez, said her daughter had done nothing to provoke anyone.
“She wasn’t bothering anyone,” she told local media while calling for justice in the case.
Family members, neighbors and community members gathered near the scene after the killing to remember Eddimar and support her loved ones.
Flowers, balloons and other memorials were placed in the area as the community mourned.
The investigation remains active as prosecutors prepare the case against Gayden.
