Girl, 7, shot dead at lemonade stand in Chicago
Mayor expresses outrage over killing of innocent child
A seven-year-old girl shot dead while selling candy and lemonade at a stand outside her Chicago home was caught in the crossfire of a gang dispute, police said.
'This is not about crime. This is about values. Take your gang conflict away from a seven-year-old.'—Rahm Emanuel, Chicago mayor
Authorities said Grade 2 student Heaven Sutton was with her mother and some friends late Wednesday when two gunmen fired bullets into the crowd.
The girl, who was struck in the chest, is now listed as Chicago's 253rd homicide victim of the year.
Her death has become a rallying cry from concerned citizens about the city's surging violent crime rate, and prompted outrage from Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
"This is not about crime. This is about values. Take your gang conflict away from a seven-year-old," Emanuel said.
"Near a child? How dare you."
In the days before her tragic death, the girl had pleaded with her mother to move the family away from their North Austin neighbourhood to a different area after a rash of recent shootings, the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper reported.