Authorities say an 8-year-old northwest Indiana girl has died days after she was shot in the head by stray gunfire as she did her homework
EAST CHICAGO, Ind. — An 8-year-old northwest Indiana girl has died days after she was shot in the head by stray gunfire as she did her homework, authorities said.
Timya Andrews died Wednesday at Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. She arrived there in critical condition after the Oct. 22 shooting in East Chicago, Indiana.
East Chicago Deputy Police Chief Jose Rivera said someone outside the home fired 16 shots from an automatic weapon, sending one stray bullet through the home’s siding and striking Timya in the head as she did her homework on the living room floor.
No suspects are in custody and anyone that might might have information about the shooting should contact the authorities, Rivera said Wednesday.
“Our detectives are working hard on this case and we’ll use all the resources we have available to apprehend the individual(s) involved in this senseless shooting,” Rivera said in a statement.
East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland announced Wednesday that he would match the $5,000 reward the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was offering for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
As of Wednesday, the ATF and East Chicago police had received no information regarding the shooting, ATF spokeswoman Kimberly Nerheim said.
“The public’s assistance is imperative in identifying those responsible for this heinous crime,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Kristin de Tineo of the Chicago Field Division.
