CHICAGO (CBS) — A 2-year-old boy was fighting for his life Thursday evening after he was shot and wounded at a home in the North Lawndale neighborhood.
Police said the toddler was in an apartment in a multifamily building in the 3800 block of West 14th Street, near Avers Avenue, at 4:05 p.m. this day after Christmas — when he was shot multiple times in the lower body.
The boy was taken to Stroger Hospital in Cook County in critical condition, police said. CBS News Chicago has learned the boy underwent surgery late Thursday night.
After the shooting, officers used flashlights to look around the exterior walls. Detectives were seen searching a downstairs unit, collecting evidence and taking a person of interest into custody.
According to police, a weapon was also found at the scene.
One man told reporters he had been in the building for the past year, and in recent weeks he noticed arguments escalating in one of the units. He now worries that such a young child was injured.
Tensions were high when CBS News Chicago arrived on the scene after the shooting. Some bystanders were seen arguing with a person who appeared to be livestreaming the police presence, attempting to knock the phone out of his hand before police got involved to break up the confrontation.
Officers then expanded their area as they prepared to photograph the scene.
Harrison Area detectives investigated late Thursday. There was no word Thursday evening on whether the person in custody would be charged.
