In a shooting captured on Facebook Live, a two-year-old boy and a 26-year-old man were killed and a pregnant woman was severely wounded when a gunman opened fire, according to police.
The incident took place as they drove on Chicago’s West Side Highway, on Tuesday afternoon local time.
The toddler, Lavontay White Jr., was present in the vehicle with his uncle and his girlfriend when he was fatally shot in the head.
In the dramatic footage, the 20-year-old woman can be heard screaming “Call 911! They killed him. … I have a bullet in my stomach,” as she runs from the car and into a house.
“Please, please, I can’t breathe,” she adds. “Oh my God, please don’t, Lord, I can’t go. I can’t go.”
“I got a bullet in my stomach … they shot him, oh my god.”
After the woman identified as Breunna Devonte enters the house the screen goes black.
Police have since confirmed the authenticity of the video and are now using it as part of their investigation.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the 20-year-old woman and her unborn child have both been listed in “fair condition.” Family members have confirmed the report saying that the baby is about four months along and is expected to survive.
Police suspect the toddler’s uncle, a documented gang member with an extensive criminal history, was the target of the brutal slaying.
Speaking to reporters, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said, “We have very promising leads…there’s no doubt in my mind that we’ll find him.”
Lavontay is the latest innocent victim of Chicago’s spike in gun violence. Speaking to the epidemic, the city’s mayor, Rahm Emanuel, has called for “meaningful gun control” and harsher sentencing for people who commit crimes with guns.
“Every parent, regardless of where they live, should be able to take their child for a walk to the park or a ride in the car. These are normal rites of passage of childhood,” Emanuel said.
“These shootings must be a turning point for our city. Anyone with information about these crimes owes it to the families of these children to come forward.”
