BRONZEVILLE — Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy on Monday said "very young kids" were involved in the weekend's slaying of an 11-year-old girl, shot in the head by a stray bullet that went through a window as she played at a sleepover.
"Our murder problem is a gun violence problem and the access to firearms," McCarthy told reporters Monday. "What we're going to find in the case we're talking about for the weekend is that very young kids are involved in this particular issue. As the case develops, and we solidify it, you'll hear, but very young kids."
Shamiya Adams was slain Friday night during a sleepover at a friend's home in 3900 block of West Gladys Avenue.
McCarthy did not announce arrests, but said progress is being made in the investigation.
"We're not going to give you too much information, but what I can tell you is ... the detectives have made great leads already, the case is progressing nicely. We don't want to rush it because we want to get it right; that's always the caution we have to use here. We have very good leads, a lot of information, and the case is developing very quickly," McCarthy said.
Investigators confirmed the bullet that hit Shamiya was fired from outside the home, the superintendent said.
"The detectives were actually astonished that the crack in the window was probably an inch and a half to 2 inches and the bullet actually went through the 2 inch crack — opening I should say — and struck her in the head," McCarthy said.
"Initially, they kind of felt that it could've happened from inside the apartment based upon the fact that the trajectory just didn't seem possible. Yet the technology that we had actually confirmed that the bullet was fired from outside," McCarthy said.
On Sunday, the Rev. George Daniels gave a special blessing at the First Baptist Congregational Church, 1613 W. Washington Blvd., where Adams was an active member. Daniels called about 10 of Shamiya's friends, some of whom were at the sleepover Friday night, to the front of the church and asked the entire community to help bless them after the tragedy.
Most of the children were in tears as the church embraced them.
"It's one thing to be standing on the porch. They should be able to go anywhere in the neighborhood, but when you go in your personal home and you're killed in your house, how can that be?" Daniels said before the service Sunday.
Josh McGhee was at Sunday's service:
"When you go into your own home, and your children are not safe, that's a bad nightmare. It's despicable. I don't think you can have words or phrases to talk about how horrific it is," he said.
According to reports, Shamiya was with friends eating s'mores and pretending to be around a campfire when she was shot.
"She came over to spend the night in preparation for the church picnic," Daniels told the congregation Sunday. "It's evil. It's despicable."
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: