Girl, 7, dies after stabbing on Chicago sidewalk

A 7-year-old girl died after police said she was stabbed multiple times Saturday on a sidewalk in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

Police said bystanders detained an unidentified adult female suspect, but investigators have not said whether the suspect knew the girl or whether the attack was random.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the girl as Edimari Hernandez Chacon, according to ABC Chicago station WLS, which was cited by ABC7 Los Angeles.

Police said the attack happened just before noon local time Saturday as the child was walking south on a sidewalk in Chatham, on Chicago’s South Side. “The offender displayed a sharp object and stabbed the victim multiple times in the back,” the Chicago Police Department said in a statement.

Edimari was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

“Bystanders who saw the stabbing occur detained the offender,” the Chicago Police Department said. Police said the adult female suspect was taken into custody after being treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries suffered while she was being detained.

Security video appeared to show the girl walking hand-in-hand with a woman before the stabbing, according to WLS. Police have not said whether the suspect knew the child or whether the stabbing was random.

“I am deeply saddened by the senseless stabbing of a 7-year-old child in our neighborhood. My heart goes out to her family, friends, and everyone who is affected by this horrific incident. No child should ever have to experience violence or fear while simply walking down the sidewalk,” Chicago Alderman Michelle Harris said in a statement posted online.

Harris also credited the people who intervened, saying, “Their quick actions may have prevented further harm.”