Shooting at Chicago McDonalds drive-through kills seven-year-old girl and seriously injures father
Her grandmother and local community activists have appealed for peace and ceasefire to shootings
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
A shooting at one of Chicago’s McDonald's drive-through has left a seven-year-old girl dead and resulted in serious injuries to her father.
According to the Chicago police, the young girl, Jaslyn Adams, was with her father Jontae Adams, 28, in their car in the McDonald’s parking lot in the Homan Square neighbourhood on Sunday afternoon when they were shot.
A McDonald’s employee, who asked not to be named, told the Chicago Sun-Times that two people got out of a grey car in the drive-thru and started shooting at Adams’ car.
The news report said just after the shooting Mr Adams called his mother, Lawanda McMullen. She recalled that her son said: “Ma, come get me. They just shot my baby.”
Videos on social media showed the moments when police officers were pulling the victims out of the car a person not visible on the camera said: “Oh s---! They killed a baby!”
Jaslyn, who was shot repeatedly, was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. She has three siblings. The police said her father, who was shot in the torso, was taken to the same hospital where his condition is serious.
The police had cordoned off the parking area and is yet to make any arrests. The police believe the shooting incident to be gang-related.
It is because in less than three hours after this incident at the McDonalds, two other people, a 33-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman, were shot in their car in an area about 10 kilometres away. The police believe that it is connected to the McDonald incident. They are both in the hospital and their condition is serious.
Jaslyn’s aunt, Tawny McMullen, said her niece was “beautiful” and a “really sweet child” while saying that her daughter was best friends with the seven-year-old.
While her grandmother, Lawanda McMullen, recalled that Jaslyn loved to dance and make TikTok videos. Her family said that she was nicknamed Pinky “because she was bright” and pink was her favourite colour.
Local community activists and Jaslyn’s family appealed for a ceasefire and end to violence.
Additional reporting by agencies