Watch CBS News

2-Year-Old Girl Dies After Being Shot In The Head Wednesday In Hammond, Indiana

CHICAGO (CBS)-- A 2-year-old girl has died, two days after she was shot in the head, caught in a crossfire in Hammond, Indiana.

The girl, who police have identified only as "Jo Jo," was in a car with her mother on the 3300 block of Craig Drive around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday when shots were fired, and a bullet struck the girl in the head.

Police said it appeared Jo Jo was caught in the crossfire between two shooters, and neither she nor her mother had any connection to either suspect. Her mother was not injured.

Witness Kayla Johnson said Jo Jo was "covered in blood."

"It was pretty horrifying," she said. "It was a lot of chaos going on, lot of commotion, lot of screaming."

image001
(Source: Hammond Police)

 

Jennifer McPherson, who lives on the block where the shooting happened, said a bullet from the shooting tore through her living room, feet away from where her own toddlers play, but her children were not injured.

"Y'all killing these babies, and my stomach is so sick, because everybody thought it was my baby," she said.

Jo Jo was taken to Comer Children's Hospital in critical condition. She died late Friday morning, police said.

"Our hearts are heavy with this news, and now more than ever, we ask the public for help. This little girl's life was stripped from her in an act of senseless violence that will forever impact those who knew her," Hammond police said in a statement.

Police asked anyone with information on the shooting to call Hammond detectives at 219-852-2906, or to email detectives@hammondpolice.com

Police were reviewing surveillance footage from the area, but no one was in custody as of Friday afternoon.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.