A 7-year-old Chicago boy was in critical condition Thursday evening after being shot while picnicking with his family for the Independence Day holiday, witnesses said.
The boy was shot at Nat King Cole Park, in the 300 block of East 85th Street, in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood, at about 7:25 p.m., authorities said.
He was rushed to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where officials said he was in critical condition.
Throughout the city, four people were killed and at least 14 others wounded in shootings since the holiday began.
Cole Park has seen its share of violence. Two people were shot there within a month's time in 2010, prompting officials to remove the basketball rims. Slain Chicago police officer Thomas Wortham, who lived nearby, was focused on restoring the park when he was shot and killed outside his parent's home three years ago.
Photo Credit: Lauren Jiggetts
