Two Children Shot As Gunfire Erupts At Back To School Picnic

Two children were shot on Chicago’s West Side Saturday as a back-to-school picnic ended. Police believe a local rapper helping out at the event was the intended target.

A girl, aged 15, and a boy, aged 12, were standing outside a Citgo gas station at about 3:23 p.m. Two occupants in an unknown vehicle pulled up and began firing. 

The girl was hit in the calf and ankle, and the boy was grazed on his hip. The kids were taken to the hospital and are listed in good condition.

Lemar Peterson told CBS Chicago it was his daughter and stepson who were shot. He drove them to the hospital.

“I was packing things into my vehicle when I heard what sounded to me like fireworks,” Peterson said. ”I just heard the worst thing a daughter could say to her father, ‘Daddy, I’ve been shot.’ Now she’s in the hospital.”

After the incident, crime scene tape and evidence markers dotted the area filled with bounce houses and tables. 

The intended target, 25-year-old VT Bad Boy, performed at the event and was helping out. He was hit multiple times during the gunfire and self transported to the hospital. He was initially listed in stable condition. 

The shooting is still under investigation, and no suspects are in custody.