Funeral services finalized for 5-year-old slain in Elgin gang shooting

While Elgin police continue working multiple leads to determine who killed a 5-year-old boy in a gang-related shooting Friday night, the little boy’s family has finalized his funeral arrangements.

Visitation for Eric M. Galarza Jr. will be 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Wait-Ross Allanson Funeral Home, 51 Center St. A funeral Mass is scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 272 Division St. Interment will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery in Elgin.

Eric was shot in the head while in the back seat of his family’s car, with his mother, and two siblings at about 7 p.m. Friday as his aunt pulled the vehicle out of their Elgin driveway.

“We have everybody working on this case, all our detectives headed by our gang unit,” Elgin Police spokeswoman Sue Olafson said.

Five or six shots were fired at the car on the 900 block of Elma Avenue. Eric died a few hours later at Sherman Hospital, police said.

Olafson said Monday afternoon police are following up on multiple leads provided by the community.

Elgin Mayor Dave Kaptain said he and Police Chief Jeffrey Swoboda will discuss whether Swoboda should make a plea to the community during Wednesday’s televised council meeting.

“Somebody knows who did it,” Kaptain said of the homicide. “We need to get people mobilized. This is not acceptable. This is not acceptable to any portion of our community.”

Anyone with any information is asked to call the Elgin Police anonymous crime line at (847) 695-4195 or leave an anonymous tip at cityofelgin.org/police.

Ÿ Daily Herald staff writer Paul Biasco contributed to this story.