6 Month Old Child, Shot and Murdered in Chicago

12 Mar, 2013

The 6-month-old infant girl shot five times on Chicago’s South Side Monday died in the hospital Tuesday morning.

Jonylah Watkins was rushed to Comer Children’s Hospital Monday afternoon in serious-to-critical condition after being shot in the 6500 block of South Maryland Avenue in the city’s Woodlawn neighborhood around 12:48 p.m. Her father, Jonathan Watkins, had been changing her diaper in the front passenger seat of a Chevy Venture minivan when a gunman approached them and opened fire. He fled in a waiting car.

Jonylah had sustained wounds in her lung, liver, leg, shoulder and bowel or intestine, according to DNAinfo Chicago, and had undergone at least five hours of surgery.

“This morning, the baby passed away,” the Rev. Corey Brooks, who is acting as a spokesman for the family, told the Chicago Tribune. “We have another tragedy in the city of Chicago.”

Brooks told the paper his New Beginnings Church would offer up to a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Jonylah’s killer.

Jonylah’s father was also wounded in the shooting and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious-to-critical condition. According to NBC Chicago, he remains in critical condition as of Tuesday morning. Police say he has known gang affiliations.

Jonylah’s mother, Judy Watkins, was previously shot while carrying the child. She was working at McDonald’s at the time of the Monday shooting, according to the Tribune.

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