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'Pop, pop, pop:' Neighbors Describe Scene of Shooting that Injured Girl, 11

By Darryl Holliday | August 25, 2013 8:31am | Updated on August 25, 2013 3:35pm
 Cindy Leon, 11, was shot in her side while sitting on a front porch in the 2300 block of North Kostner Avenue in Hermosa
Cindy Leon, 11, was shot in her side while sitting on a front porch in the 2300 block of North Kostner Avenue in Hermosa
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DNAinfo/Tanveer Ali/family

HERMOSA — Witnesses say a woman acting erratically shot an 11-year-old girl sitting on her front porch early Sunday morning.

The girl, identified as Cindy Leon, was shot through her hip at about 3:30 a.m. at her home in the 2300 block of North Kostner Avenue in the Hermosa neighborhood. A family member said "she's doing fine."

Her family hosted a party Saturday night, which ended about 3 a.m., said Isamar Alicea, 19, who lives below Cindy's family. The Aliceas met their upstairs neighbors for the first time Saturday night.

After the party ended, Alicea, her 16-year-old sister, along with Cindy, her brother and mother remained outside when they saw a woman walking north on the street "talking rudely on her phone and cursing."

"We didn't know her. We've never seen her," Alicea said. "Two or three minutes later, she came shooting as we were all going inside.

"I just grabbed my sister and ran inside. When I came back out, I realized the girl was shot."

Cindy was taken to Lurie Children's Hospital in stable condition, said Officer Jose Estrada, a police spokesman. No one is in custody.

Cindy returned home later Sunday morning where a scrum of media waited outside her home. The family declined to speak to reporters, but a family member said in passing Cindy's older sister had been murdered several years ago, and her mother was reticient to talk, fearing gang members.

Neighbor Ana Ruiz said she heard commotion at the house a few doors down from her own after hearing a "pop, pop, pop." 

"They always have problems at that house," Ruiz said. "Different people are there every day."

Cindy was among five people wounded and one killed by gunfire overnight.

Last week, a 7-year-old boy was shot outside his home in West Garfield Park.

A 14-year-old boy was fatally shot in West Garfield Park. Lavander Hearnes, of the 3900 block of West Wilcox Street, who police initially said was 16, was standing in a vacant lot in the 4000 block of West Wilcox Street at about 12:20 a.m. when he heard shots and was wounded in his chest, Estrada said.

The boy was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition. He was pronounced dead there at 9:05 a.m., the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office said. He was killed a block away from Melody Elementary School.

Other shootings around the city included:

• In Humboldt Park, a 31-year-old man was shot in the thigh on the 900 block of North Central Park Avenue. He checked himself into Norwegian Hospital and listed in stable condition, though no further details were available as of Sunday night.

• In Roseland, a 37-year-old man was shot in his right shoulder and left arm on the 9500 block of South State Street before checking himself in to St. Bernard Hospital. Officers said the man said he "heard shots and felt pain" at about 5:50 a.m. He was later listed in stable condition.

• In Washington Park, two males, ages 28 and 29, were standing on a sidewalk near the 5600 block of South Wabash Avenue when a man walked up to them and began firing at about 3:24 a.m. Both men were shot in the knee — the 28-year-old in his right knee and the 29-year-old in his left.

In Greektown, three men were shot in the 300 block of South Green Street at 3 a.m. A 22-year-old was sent to Stroger Hospital in serious condition after being shot in his right torso. A 20-year-old man was sent to Mount Sinai in stable condition with a would to his leg. A 21-year-old checked himself into Mercy Hospital after being shot in his left forearm and is good condition.

• In Gage Park around 3 a.m., a man whose age is unknown was shot in his lower abdomen in the 5500 block of South Sacramento Avenue. Police couldn't provide information about the hospital he was sent to.

• In the Back of the Yards at 11:19 p.m. Saturday night,  a 53-year-old man was shot once in his left side by a man who fled on foot. The victim was taken from the 4500 block of South McDowell Avenue to Stroger Hospital in serious condition.