Cops Question Teen In Shooting Death Of 6-Year-Old Girl
Updated 08/08/11 - 4:42 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Police were questioning a teenager on Monday in the shooting death of a 6-year-old girl who was slain early Sunday as she slept at her grandmother's home in the Englewood neighborhood.
Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy confirmed Monday that police were questioning someone in the shooting death of Arianna Gibson.
"We have a lot of information that we have to follow up on before we could get that person charged, but right now, it's a very strong, strong lead that we're working on," he said Monday.
McCarthy wouldn't comment on the suspect's age, but police sources told CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker that the person being questioned is a 17-year-old male.
The teen was picked up early Monday in the South Shore neighborhood.
Police said someone walked up to the front porch of the home and fired shots inside, striking Arianna and the teens, both relatives of Arianna's.
Arianna was sleeping on the couch when she and the two teenagers were shot. Arianna died Sunday morning after she was taken to University of Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital.
The family friend who was shot and was the alleged target of the gunman picked the suspect out of a lineup, a source said. The victim knew the shooter and where he lived, according to the source.
The 17-year-old boy was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County with a gunshot wound to the side. Arianna's 17-year-old cousin was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn with a gunshot wound to the ankle. Both were expected to survive.
Arianna was supposed to start the 1st grade on Monday at Arthur A Libby Elementary School in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Instead of welcoming her back to school, teachers, students and staff walked into a school where the sign carried a message in memory of Arianna -- "IN LOVING MEMORY OF ARIANNA GIBSON. LIBBY MISSES YOU!"
"She's just a little girl, she didn't even get to come back to school on the first day. I wish they'd just stop the violence," said Lawanda Mitchell, a parent at Libby Elementary. "And I feel so sad for her parents, send my condolences go out to them."
Grief counselors spent the day at Libby, consoling Arianna's friends and teachers.
