An 8-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet while walking in Chicago with her mom over the weekend, according to reports.
Melissa Ortega was shot in the head by one of several rounds fired by a male suspect toward another alleged gang member just before 3 p.m. Saturday, the Chicago Sun-Times
reported.Melissa was rushed to the hospital where she died. The man who was the target of the shooting is in critical condition, the paper reported.
A witness told CBS Chicago that he heard several gunshots before helping the girl
“I heard the mother screaming for help,” Oscar Guevara told the station. “I had [a] cover, and we put it over her to keep her warm. But there was really nothing we could do.”
Police found 13 shell casing at the scene, according to a police report obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times. No arrests have been made yet.
Melissa’s family moved to the U.S. from Mexico in August.
“They were both excited to start a new life in Chicago and build their American Dream,” Melissa’s loved ones wrote on a GoFundMe
page. “I am asking that you please help fund her funeral expenses. She will be buried in her home town, Los Sauces, Tabasco, Zacatecas, Mexico.”As of Monday, more than $52,000 has been raised.