Seven-year-old Elijah Dace was walking home from school Wednesday with his brother and sister in the Morgan Park neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side when the trio were ambushed by two gunmen who came out of an alley, with one of them yelling, “What you be about?” before opening fire at the children, police say, according to the Chicago Tribune. The gunmen then took off running.
The young boy started to run but soon realized that he’d been shot in the shoulder. He was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital and is said to be in good condition.
According to the Tribune, the first-grader had been walking home from Shoop Elementary when he was shot at approximately 3:20 p.m. about two blocks from his home.
Six 9 mm shell casings were found at the scene. Police are questioning a 16- or 17-year-old boy, according to the news site, but he is reportedly not being cooperative. Authorities believe that the shooters were gang-affiliated but do not believe that Elijah was the intended target.
Read more at the Chicago Tribune.