Boy, 3, among 13 victims shot near Chicago basketball court

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Boy, 3, among 13 victims shot near Chicago basketball court

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Police investigate the scene of the shooting in Cornell Square Park in Chicago late Thursday.

By Alexander Smith, NBC News contributor

Thirteen people, including a 3-year-old boy, were wounded by a flurry of gunfire in a Chicago park late Thursday, the latest round in the city’s ongoing fight with gun violence.

The shooting took place near a basketball court on the city's South Side. The toddler was listed in critical condition after being shot in the ear, police said.

The other wounded ranged in age from 15 to 41, Chicago police spokesman Ron Gaines told NBC News. Their injuries included gunshot wounds to the stomach, arm, leg, knee, wrists and buttocks. Their conditions ranged from serious to good early Friday, according to police.

Detectives were interviewing witnesses and believe the shooting was gang-related. It was unclear how many suspects were at large, police said.

The shooting happened at 10 p.m. local time (11 p.m. ET) in Cornell Square Park in the Back of the Yards neighborhood in Chicago, Gains said.

Twelve of the 13 victims were transported to hospital via ambulance, while the thirteenth traveled in a car.

The wounded were being treated at Holy Cross, Saint Anthony’s, Northwestern Memorial and John H. Stroger Jr. hospitals.

Four victims were listed in a serious condition early Friday.

The shooting happened barely three weeks after a deadly Labor Day weekend for Chicago, in which eight people were killed about 20 others were injured. The violence also comes as statistics released this week from the FBI found that Chicago was the nation's murder capital in 2012.

Chicago had more than 500 homicides in 2012, according to FBI data, exceeding New York City, which recorded 419, and Los Angeles, which saw 299. Both cities have populations greater than that of Chicago.

Despite earning the grim title, Chicago's police department has touted improvements in the city. The department has said that its anti-gang program, narcotics initiatives, and community policing have resulted in fewer shootings and murders over the same period than the year prior. 

NBC's Elizabeth Chuck contributed to this report.

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This story was originally published on Fri Sep 20, 2013 4:28 AM EDT

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