An 8-year-old boy playing in front of his home in Markham was shot and killed when someone stepped out of a car and fired, apparently aiming at his older brother, police said.
Someone on the street fired back and Demetrius Stevenson was struck in the head around 5 p.m. Monday near 157th and Homan streets in the south suburb, police said.
The boy’s brother, 18, was believed to be the target and was taken into custody on a separate warrant, according to city administrator Derrick Champion.
The gunman in the car had come from Chicago looking for the teen, Champion said, adding that the shooting appeared to be gang-related.
“There was a car that pulled up, there was some unfortunate crossfire,” he told reporters at the scene. “There was an intended target, which was the older brother to the victim.”
Demetrius was in the third grade and was looking forward to the new school year, his family told Champion.
“The school year just started and now classmates have to mourn,” he said.
