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Woman charged with murder in stabbing of 7-year-old girl on South Side: police; family speaks out
Eddimar Paola Hernández Chacón was walking along South Cottage Grove Avenue near East 86th Street in the city's East Chatham neighborhood shortly before noon Saturday when police say a woman approached her and stabbed her multiple times in the back.
Eddimar was taken to Comer Children's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The woman accused in the attack, 48-year-old Shavon Gayden, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder.
Prosecutors Describe What Happened
New details presented in court indicate Gayden may have encountered Eddimar and her sister moments after an altercation at a nearby business.
According to prosecutors, Gayden was inside a business on Cottage Grove Avenue shortly before the stabbing and allegedly threatened employees. She then left carrying a tote bag and encountered the two sisters as they walked down the street.
Prosecutors allege Gayden pulled a knife from the bag and lunged toward Eddimar's teenage sister. The older girl was able to avoid the attack, but authorities say Gayden then grabbed Eddimar, pulled her to the ground and repeatedly stabbed her.
Police have described the attack as unprovoked, and authorities have not announced a motive or said that Gayden knew the family.
Bystanders Chased Down the Suspect
The attack happened in broad daylight, and witnesses quickly rushed to help.
Surveillance footage showed people running toward the scene after Eddimar was attacked. Several bystanders then chased Gayden and detained her until police arrived.
Gayden was injured during the confrontation and taken to a hospital for treatment. She remained hospitalized and did not appear at her scheduled court hearing Monday. A judge ordered that she remain detained until her next hearing, scheduled for Oct. 7.
Family Remembers a Happy Little Girl
For Eddimar's family, the devastating attack has left a community grieving a child they describe as joyful and full of dreams.
At a vigil Sunday near the location where she was killed, family members and neighbors gathered, prayed and released white balloons in her memory.
Her stepfather, Pedro Izquierdo, remembered her as a happy little girl who dreamed about growing up. Her mother, Estefany Hernandez, told ABC7 Chicago that her daughter's death should not be left without justice.
The family has also said Eddimar loved drawing, playing with her siblings and waiting by the window for her parents to return home.
Questions About the Suspect's Past
The case has also raised questions about Gayden's previous encounters with the criminal justice system.
Court records reviewed by local news outlets show she had been charged in previous cases, including an alleged 2023 attack involving a Chicago Transit Authority employee. She later received probation.
Records also show she was arrested again in 2024 in connection with an attack on shelter workers. A warrant was later issued after she failed to appear in the earlier case, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
A woman who said she has known Gayden's family for decades told CBS News Chicago that relatives had previously tried to get her help for mental health and substance-abuse problems. Those claims have not been independently established as a cause of Saturday's attack.
A Community Demands Justice
Eddimar's death has shaken the Chatham community, where neighbors gathered to support her family and remember a child who was simply walking with her sister.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack, including what led to the confrontation and whether there was any connection between Gayden and the family.
For Eddimar's loved ones, the immediate focus is on remembering the little girl they lost — and making sure her death is not forgotten.
Source: ABC7 Chicago
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