A Chicago woman has been charged with murder for allegedly stabbing to death a 7-year-old girl walking along a sidewalk in the city's Chatham neighborhood, police reported.
Shavon Gayden, 48, faces one felony count of first-degree murder in connection with the incident that occurred Saturday morning, according to a Chicago police statement. Authorities said the girl was walking when a woman carrying an unspecified sharp object approached her and stabbed her multiple times in the back.
Bystanders pursued and detained the suspect, police said. Images from the scene showed a commercial strip cordoned off by police tape.
Gayden, a Chicago resident, was hospitalized and did not appear for a scheduled court hearing Monday. Her injuries were not considered life-threatening, according to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the deceased child as Edi Mari Hernandez Chacon. She was pronounced dead at Comer Children’s Hospital.
Security footage from a nearby business reportedly captured the girl walking hand-in-hand with an older female when the attack occurred. Police have not commented on a possible motive or any relationship between Gayden and the child.
Attempts to reach Gayden's family for comment were unsuccessful. The Cook County Public Defender's office confirmed it was assigned to represent Gayden but declined to comment further.
The girl's uncle, Richard Hernandez Chacon, wrote in a GoFundMe post to raise funeral funds that Edi Mari's