Seven-year-old Akeem Briscoe of Chicago, Illinois was killed by a stray bullet today when a gang fight erupted in the alley outside his home. Akeem, a  second grader, is the 12th child,  age 13 or younger, to be killed in Chicago this year, and his death comes just days after an 8-year-old Chicago boy was killed in an accidental shooting.

The bullet that killed Akeem passed through the window of his home after a fight erupted outside. Akeem was in the bathroom washing his hands for dinner when the bullet struck him in the abdomen.

Akeem’s death also follows closely after the death of his father this week following heart surgery.  “He said he didn’t want his dad to be gone, and he wanted to be with him,” the boy’s uncle said. He added, “he had a dog he called Angel. Now he’s an angel himself.”

Although several people have been arrested, the shooter has not been identified.

Source:

Sophie Sherry, Michael Loria, Tom Schuba, Fran Spielman and Mary Norkol, “7-year-old Akeem Briscoe Killed by Stray Bullet 4 days After his Father’s Funeral,” Chicago Sun-Times (October 27, 2022).