Chicago violence: 7-year-old boy shot on his way to church with family

CHICAGO - Chicago police said a boy who was on his way to church with his family on Sunday morning was shot by someone who was breaking into a car.

The shooting happened in Roseland on South State Street, police said.

The boy and his family were in a car when a family member saw that another of their cars was being broken into. A confrontation ensued, and the suspect opened fire, police said.

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The boy was shot in the leg, and the family rushed him to the hospital.

Police who were working nearby chased and captured the suspect.

"It's not uncommon for someone to walk out and see someone attempting to steal their vehicle," said Chicago Police Deputy Chief Larry Snelling. "Please if you see this, just call the police. Do not try to confront these individuals. I understand that it's really hard to walk out to see someone breaking into or damaging something you paid your hard-earned dollars for, but it's really not worth it."

On Friday night, 3-year-old Mateo Zastro was killed in a shooting the police said was sparked by road rage on the Southwest Side as he sat in the back seat of his mother’s sport-utility vehicle in West Lawn.

At least 285 minors have been shot in Chicago this year, according to a Chicago Sun-Times tally. Forty-three of those victims who were killed were 17 or younger. There have been 33 gunshot victims 12 or younger, and six of them died.

"We've seen children shot across this city in ridiculous numbers. When did we become a society where we stopped caring about the children? Can you imagine what this 7-year-old and his family are going through?" Snelling asked.