Two teenagers and one infant were killed Monday during a shooting on a Chicago-area highway that left three other passengers injured, police say.
Six people were traveling north on Interstate 57 late Sunday when shots were fired at their vehicle, causing the car to leave the highway and come to a stop near an exit ramp, Illinois State Police trooper Josh Robinson told ABC News.
Three killed, including baby, in Chicago highway shooting https://t.co/ErbCZgLDpJ pic.twitter.com/ocA7HGLDiB
— Eyewitness News WTVO/WQRF (@MyStateline) February 20, 2023
Two teenagers, identified as Nasir Hall, 19, and William Smith, 13, were pronounced dead at the scene, USAToday reported, citing the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. The infant, identified as A-mara Hall, 1, was pronounced dead at the hospital, the outlet added.
A 14-year-old boy was also shot and transported to Comer Children’s Hospital and remains in fair-to-serious condition, Chicago Fire Department officials told the Chicago Sun-Times. The last two passengers injured in the incident were also reported to be children.
“Everyone in that vehicle had some kind of injury, whether critical or minor,” an Illinois State Police spokesperson told the Sun-Times.
The incident has sparked outrage among community activists who have since offered a $7,000 reward to find the person or persons responsible for the attack, the outlet reported.
“We’ve got to get these baby killers off the street,” activist Andrew Holmes said, according to the Sun-Times. Holmes reportedly spoke to the belief that the shots were fired from another vehicle, adding, “if anyone has the color of that vehicle, give the Illinois State Police a call.” (RELATED: Police Arrest Three Gang Members 13 Months After Toddler Was Killed In Freeway Shooting)
Monday’s incident is the 21st reported roadway shooting in Illinois so far in 2023, according to data shared on geographic information site ArcGIS.
Robinson told ABC News the investigation is still in the early stages.