Two Teens Shot In South Shore
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two teenagers were shot in the South Shore neighborhood Monday night, just hours after community activists called for an end to the gun violence in Chicago.
CBS 2's Susanna Song reports community leaders, the families of gunshot victims, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel all gathered Monday evening at St. Sabina Church in the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood, saying the violence must stop, in the wake of a shooting that left five children wounded the night before on the South Side.
A couple hours after that rally at St. Sabina, two teenagers were shot less than five miles away, in the 1600 block of East 69th Street. The two boys, ages 14 and 16, were standing on the sidewalk around 9:30 p.m. Monday when they were shot.
The 14-year-old was shot in the back, and was in critical condition Tuesday morning at Comer Children's Hospital. The 16-year-old was shot in the leg, and also was being treated at Comer.
No one was in custody early Tuesday.
The shooting came just a couple hours after a gathering at St. Sabina to address a shooting that left five children wounded Sunday night – four girls and a boy, all between the ages of 11 and 15.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel became emotional as he told the crowd he is at a loss for words to comfort the parents of the victims.
"There is nothing harder to do than to reach out and try to put your arms around a mother, a mother and a father, who have lost a child to senseless meaningless violence," the mayor said. "I am done making these phone calls. I have no more words to say anymore."
Community activists said Chicago residents can't let summer be a time of fear and intimidation for children. They said kids should be able to play outside without fear of being shot.
"We have to continue to put forth a lot of effort to make sure that even though we're having this violence that we don't give up. there are a lot of people that are working toward making things better. every single day," Rev. Corey Brooks said.
The leaders who gathered for the rally at St. Sabina said they have to roll up their sleeves and make sure children have meaningful activities to keep them out of harm's way.
"We are stronger than that senseless violence," Emanuel said. "These streets don't belong to the gangbangers. They're our streets, for our children. They go to our schools. We're measured by whether they have a future."
