Chicago Police Say 9-Year-Old Boy Was Targeted And Lured By Shooter

Teresa Crawford / AP

Chicago police now believe a 9-year-old boy who was shot dead in an alleyway earlier this week was targeted and lured as part of the ongoing gang-related violence gripping the city.

Tyshawn Lee was found Monday with multiple gunshots to his upper body, shocking a city that has grown accustomed to street gang violence.

"At this point, we believe that Tyshawn was targeted, lured to this spot and murdered," Supt. Garry McCarthy said during a news conference Thursday. "We believe that this is the most recent in a series of gang-related, violent events."

McCarthy added that investigators believe Tyshawn's father, Pierre Stokes, has ties to a gang that is "in conflict with another gang." Stokes, however, is not cooperating with the ongoing investigation into those ties, McCarthy said.

The boy was shot several times at close range in an alleyway of Chicago’s Gresham neighborhood near his grandmother's house. According to police, an argument involving multiple people took place in the alley. Someone then pulled out a gun, fired, and then fled.

Police told BuzzFeed News that officers arrived in the 800 block of South Damen Avenue around 4:19 p.m. and found the boy with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body. A basketball was found nearby.

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An unnamed person of interest who walked into Area South police headquarters Wednesday accompanied by an attorney was released at midnight after nine hours of questioning, police added.

A $35,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest in Tyshawn's killing.

At Thursday's news conference, a local reverend said he would help anyone with information that leads to the arrest of Tyshawn's killer relocate to a different city.

"If they're afraid, I will personally help them move ... out of my own pocket," he said.

McCarthy also expressed sadness and frustration over the case Thursday.

"Sometimes you can't help but take [these cases] personally, sometimes you can't help but have it affect you," he told reporters. "We've seen this before, children getting murdered because of someone else's involvement with criminal activity."

The criminal justice system "doesn't help," McCarthy added before growing visibly emotional and stepping away from the podium. "It doesn't take a big man to hold a gun....We're dealing with cowards here."

LINK: Chicago Police Trying To Determine If 9-Year-Old Boy Was Intentionally Gunned Down

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