7-year-old girl among several young victims of July 4 gun violence in major US cities
CHICAGO -- Several children and teenagers were victims of gun violence during Fourth of July celebrations across the United States, including a 7-year-old girl who was fatally shot at a family party in Chicago.
The 7-year-old girl, identified as Natalie Wallace, was fatally shot in the head while standing on the sidewalk at her grandmother's house around 7 p.m., police said. Suspects got out of a car and began shooting, police said. No one was has been arrested.
In another Chicago shooting, just before midnight Saturday, four males opened fire on a large gathering in the street, killing a 14-year-old boy and three other male victims, police said.
"Tonight, a 7-year-old girl in [the Austin neighborhood] joined a list of teenagers and children whose hopes and dreams were ended by the barrel of a gun," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on Twitter late Saturday. "As a city, we must wrap our arms around our youth so they understand there's a future for them that isn't wrapped up in gun violence."
In Atlanta, an 8-year-old girl was shot while inside a car with her mother, police said. The driver, the child's mother's friend, was attempting to enter a parking lot when an armed group blocked its entrace and opened fire around 9:50 p.m. The child later died in the hospital. An investigation is ongoing.
Police in Washington, D.C. said an 11-year-old boy was shot and killed after a group of about five men opened fire. No suspects have been identified, but police say a black sedan was seen fleeing through a nearby alley.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
