A nine-year-old girl was shot dead outside her Portage Park home in Chicago during a weekend that witnessed 27 shooting incidents in the city.
Serabi Medina was on her scooter near her residence around 9:40 pm when Michael Goodman, 43, from across the street, approached and shot her.
Witnesses mentioned that Goodman had approached Serabi and her father earlier, complaining about the noise levels. Goodman had a reputation for expressing concerns about noise from children in the neighborhood, often coming out of his house and yelling, and neighbors indicated that they tried to avoid him.
After the shooting, Serabi’s father intervened, leading to Goodman sustaining an injury above his left eye.
Both the weapon and Goodman were secured by the police.
Serabi was declared deceased at Stroger Hospital, while Goodman received treatment at Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Following his treatment, Goodman was charged with first-degree murder and remains detained.
The Medina family is no stranger to tragedy, having lost Serabi’s mother in a shooting in 2019.
The little girl was known in the community for her frequent scooter rides.
