12-year-old girl critically injured in Chicago shooting

CHICAGO (AP) - A Chicago girl was critically wounded when she was shot in the head while sitting in her car following a celebration of her 12th birthday, police said.

The girl was in the passenger's seat of a car driven by a family member in the city's West Englewood neighborhood on Tuesday night when one of the bullets fired by three gunmen at another vehicle struck her in the back of the head, according to police.

No arrests have been made.

At a press briefing Wednesday, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown called it a 'œheinous, reckless senseless'ť shooting involving rival gangs. Brown would not elaborate, but vowed to go after those responsible.

'œThe full brunt of every resource we have will bear down on the gang responsible for this," he said.

The girl was taken to a hospital, where she remained in critical condition Wednesday, according to community activist Andrew Holmes, who has been talking to family members.

The shooting comes amid an increase in gun violence in the city. Last year, 797 homicides occurred in Chicago - more than any single year in the last quarter century.

According to a WBBM-TV analysis of data obtained through an open records request, at least 276 children ages 16 and younger were shot in the city in 2021. Forty-three of those victims were younger than 13.

Chicago recorded 92 homicides in the first two months of this year - one more than during the same period of 2021.

That includes the January shooting of 8-year-old Melissa Ortega, who was crossing the street with her mom in the Little Village neighborhood when she was killed. Police say a man was aiming at a rival gang member who flashed gang signs. Two arrests have been made in that shooting.