An armed 15-year-old boy was caught leaving a Woodlawn apartment Monday after a 4-year-old boy and teen inside were wounded in a possible accidental shooting, according to Chicago police.
The child was hit in the hand and a 17-year-old boy was shot in the foot around 1:50 p.m. in the 6500 block of South Ellis Avenue, police said. They were hospitalized in good condition.
As officers arrived at the building, they saw the 15-year-old crossing the street holding his side, police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli said.
Officers asked if he had been upstairs where the shooting occurred and he said yes, according to Bartoli. The teen told officers they should go upstairs to check on the people inside.
Officers patted down the teen and recovered a weapon, Bartoli said. He was charged with unauthorized use of a weapon and expected to appear in juvenile court Tuesday.
Detectives were investigating if the shooting may have been accidental, Bartoli said.
Earlier in June, the Sun-Times reported that children are dying of gun violence in Chicago at a rate three times higher than last year.
Eleven children aged 15 or younger have been shot dead so far this year, according to Sun-Times records.
