Vigil held for 7-year-old girl killed in Chatham stabbing

A vigil was held Sunday afternoon in Chatham to honor a young girl who was stabbed to death Saturday.

Family friends and community members gathered in the 8600 block of south Cottage Grove Avenue where 7-year-old Edi Mari Hernandez Chacon was killed.

Family members, dressed in black and white, released white balloons, lit candles and scattered candy at the spot where Edi Mari was police said a woman attacked the child Saturday morning. The girl’s loved ones shed tears and embraced each other as they circled around the candles.

Edi Mari’s family declined to speak to a Sun-Times reporter.

“It’s really sad,” said Michelle Clark, who attended the vigil to show support for the family. “I’m a mother, and I can’t imagine the pain they must be going through.”

Edi Mari was walking with her older sister just before noon when a woman approached her and stabbed her multiple times in the back, according to Chicago police.

Bystanders who witnessed the stabbing intervened and detained the woman, police said.

The girl was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The woman, who has not been identified, suffered injuries during the scuffle with bystanders, and she was transported to the hospital before being taken into police custody.

Clark said she had seen the woman several times at a nearby train station and cannot understand what may have led her to attack a young girl.

“We need to protect children,” she said. “They deserve to be safe walking down the street.”

Chicago police had not announced charges as of Sunday evening.

“I am deeply saddened by the senseless stabbing of a 7 year old child in our neighborhood,” Ald. Michelle Harris said in a statement. “My heart goes out to her family, friends, and everyone who is affected by this horrific incident. No child should ever have to experience violence or fear while simply walking down the sidewalk.”