7-year-old Chicago boy washing hands before dinner killed by stray bullet, family buried father days earlier

Akeem Briscoe was washing his hands in the bathroom and preparing dinner when, at around 8:20 p.m., a stray bullet entered through a window and hit him in the abdomen. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died hours later, reports the Chicago Sun Times.

The Chicago family mourns the recent death of their patriarch. Within days of the father’s funeral, his son was fatally shot, a victim of gang violence and became the 12th^th Child under 13 to be killed in city in 2022

The boy had only buried his father last Saturday. His father died of heart disease and did not survive the operation.

“He said he didn’t want his father to be gone and he wanted to be with him,” Akeem’s uncle Terribia Misters said. “Now he’s where his father is.”

The tragedy happened on the evening of October 26 after gang members fought in an alley near his home on the 2600 block of West Potomac Avenue in Humboldt Park. The argument escalated into a shootout, which resulted in the second grader’s death.

Akeem’s early death comes days after the death of another boy. This child, only a year older, was killed in the Bronzeville section of the “Windy City.”

“He just loved playing with the kids and doing different things,” Misters said. “He had a dog he named Angel. Now he is an angel himself.”

According to a source within the Chicago Police Department, one possible theory is that the shooting was an argument between members of the same Maniac Latin Disciples sect. They believe the group could be responsible for two other shootings that recently took place in the city.

Police said they took four men into custody after the shooting. The gang members were all on one side of the shooting. The gang’s war party was not arrested by the CPD.

According to ABC 7, a $15,000 reward is now being offered for information about the shooting.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called for the person who “knows who did this” to surrender, noting that another child was murdered on the city’s south side, adding to the community’s gun crisis strengthened.

“These two boys should have been at school today, eagerly awaiting a weekend of fun. They should have kept partying every year after that,” Lightfoot said. “Instead, two families were torn apart today. A tragic loss for families to deal with and once again a city mourns the loss of two of our precious young people.”

She continued, “This didn’t happen in a vacuum. There are people out there…in the sound of my voice who know exactly what happened. You have to, you have to come forward. These families are deeply saddened. Come forward for them.”

The uncle echoed the mayor’s plea, adding: “If you’ve got a soul or something in your body, tune in yourself man. He was loved by a lot of people, so that should tell you something.

Misters revealed the boy’s mother, older brother and sister were also in the house but were not injured by the bullet. Their hearts were shattered to have lost another member of the family in such a short time.

“They had to watch their little brother get shot,” Misters said. “On the way to the hospital he said, ‘I’m fine.’ ”

Misters also recalled his last conversation with his nephew, about homework and an upcoming trip the next day. The young man’s lunch for the trip had been prepared by his mother and he was “excited to go”.

“He asked me, ‘Uncle Tibbs, you should come with me,'” Misters recalled. “He was so excited to go. Life is short. He left so early… Life isn’t fair. Innocent children should not be killed.”

A woman who lived across the street from the family said she heard the shots and counted between 10 and 12.

“I have a bad habit of counting when I hear noises like this,” the neighbor said. “It’s different. It’s not like popping a balloon.”

After seeing a woman crying for the police, the woman, whose name has been kept secret for her safety, said to herself: “Please, no more child.”

A vigil originally planned for Thursday night at the home was interrupted after more shots were fired in the area, allowing the small crowd to disperse.

A GoFundMe was set up by neighbors to help pay for the boy’s funeral expenses. Reaghan Hunt not only asked for no pictures of Akeem to be released, but also stated the urgent need.

In 10 days, the community raised $26,140, ​​a thousand more than the target.

According to sources, 298 children were shot dead in the city of Chicago in 2022. Of these, 41 young people under the age of 18 died this year as a result of gun violence.