9-year-old boy shot and killed in Chicago

CHICAGO (Fox 32 News) - A 9-year-old boy was murdered on the city's Far South Side Friday.
               
Gustavo Garcia's death came amid a wave of violence that saw at least five others killed Friday night into Saturday morning, but the sudden and shocking nature of his murder leaves people trying to figure why it happened.
 
Hours after the shooting death of Garcia as he rode in the back of an SUV, a number of questions still remained for people close to his family. 

Community activist and crisis responder Andrew Holmes was one of them, and questioned who inside the vehicle was targeted, and what role, if any, does a truck sitting near the scene, play in what happened.
 
“There was some questions about whether they were picking someone up at 96th and Avenue N,” Holmes said.
 
About a block from that location, a large contingent of Chicago police officers converged on the 3500 block of East 97th where the shots were fired.
 
A man was seen visibly upset as he dropped to the pavement nearby, whom Holmes said is Garcia's stepfather, also riding in the vehicle when police said someone in a sedan pulled up and began shooting at 11:15 Friday night.
 
Along with Garcia, who was shot in the back and taken to Comer's Children's where he died, police said a 31-year-old man was shot in the face, back and chest before being taken to Advocate Christ in critical condition, according to police.
 
Nearby, Raul Mendez said he was on the phone when he heard screams.
 
“The man is screaming no, no, no, no, please, no stop it! Help!" Mendez said.
 
Garcia was a fourth grader at Arnold Mireles Academy on the south side, Holmes said.
 
After spending hours with his family, Holmes said the child's mother is still reeling from her son’s sudden and violent death.
 
Holmes described her as “a mother who can barely breathe, barely see because her eyes are so swollen from crying,” Holmes said. “This is her only child.
 
Police did not have any suspects in custody as of Saturday evening.