Courtesy of The Chicago Tribune
A 6-month-old girl died this morning, a day after she and her father were shot several times outside a home in the South Side’s Woodlawn neighborhood, officials said.
Jonylah Watkins had undergone hours of surgery at Comer Children’s Hospital after she was shot early Monday afternoon. “This morning, the baby passed away,” said the Rev. Corey Brooks, a spokesman for the family, “We have another tragedy in the city of Chicago.”
The baby was pronounced dead at 6 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.
The girl’s father, Jonathan Watkins, 29, was shot in his left side and right buttock and sustained a graze wound to the face, police said. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious-to-critical condition, fire officials said.
Related: It’s Deeper Than Gun Control in Chicago
Police said a gunman emerged from a gangway in the 6500 block of South Maryland Avenue shortly before 1 p.m. and opened fire. Watkins was shot as he stood by the minivan’s open front passenger door changing his daughter’s diaper as she lay on the seat, police said.
The gunman fled to a nearby parking lot and jumped into a blue conversion van, which sped north through an alley, police said. Police were scouring the area for surveillance footage.
Other family members said the girl’s 20-year-old mother was at work at a McDonald’s when the shooting happened. She had been shot in the leg last spring while pregnant with Jonylah, they said.
The post Baby Dies After She And Dad Are Shot: ‘We Have Another Tragedy In Chicago’ appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.