A 7-year-old girl was stabbed to death on a Chicago sidewalk on Saturday, October 3, and bystanders stopped the woman police took into custody. Police have not released a motive. A local news outlet reports the woman had an open arrest warrant, a court order to take her into custody, dating to February 2025.
Story Highlights
- Police say a woman stabbed the girl several times in the back on a sidewalk in the 8600 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue in the Chatham neighborhood, around 11:55 a.m.
- Bystanders detained the woman until officers arrived. She was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and remains in custody.
- The girl was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital and pronounced dead. The Cook County Medical Examiner identified her as Edimari Hernandez Chacon.
- On Sunday evening, October 4, the woman was charged with first-degree murder.
What Police Say Happened in Chatham
Chicago police said a woman approached the girl as she walked on the sidewalk near East 86th Street and stabbed her several times in the back. Officers said the child was rushed to Comer Children’s Hospital, where she died. Detectives from Chicago police Area 2 are investigating.
Witnesses called 911, and one flagged down a passing police car, according to the local outlet. It reports that one bystander knocked the woman unconscious a short distance from where the girl was found. Police said bystanders detained the woman until officers got there. Chicago Ald. Michelle Harris thanked them, saying their “quick actions may have prevented further harm.”
The Open Warrant
The local outlet reports the woman is 48 and that the warrant was for failing to appear at a status hearing, a court date to check on a case, in a probation matter. It says the warrant was still active in police records when she was arrested. It also reports she was placed on probation after pleading guilty in November 2024 to aggravated battery of a CTA bus driver. Police named her as Shavon Gayden, 48. She was charged on Sunday evening, October 4, with first-degree murder.
Some reports say the woman did not know the girl. Police have not said whether the two knew each other. Some outlets spelled the girl’s name differently, so the medical examiner’s version is used here.
Why This Case Hit a Nerve
This happened in daylight, on an ordinary sidewalk, to a child on a walk. Harris said, “No child should ever have to experience violence or fear while simply walking down the sidewalk.” Gayden was due in court on Monday, October 5.
Sources:
thegatewaypundit.com, abc7chicago.com, wbtv.com
