Venezuelan family demands justice after 7-year-old girl stabbed to death in Chicago

A 7-year-old girl from a Venezuelan family was murdered in Chicago in an unprovoked attack. The incident occurred around noon on Saturday in the 8600 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue in the East Chatham neighborhood.

Eddimar Paola Hernández was walking hand-in-hand with her older sister when Shavon Gayden, 48, stabbed her multiple times in the back. The assault was described as random with no prior connection between those involved. The girl was taken to Comer Children's Hospital, where she died at 1:01 p.m.

Bystanders subdued Gayden with jumper cables until police arrived. The Chicago Police Department charged her with first-degree murder and hospitalized her for her own injuries. The motive remains undetermined.

The girl's mother, Estefany Hernández, stated that her daughter's death cannot go unpunished. Her stepfather, Pedro Izquierdo, attended a vigil held Sunday in memory of the child.

Police records show Gayden had a 2023 conviction for assaulting a CTA bus driver, resulting in two years of probation. She later violated probation terms, including an incident involving shelter workers, and had an active arrest warrant since February 2025.

Alderman Michelle Harris noted a prior altercation involving Gayden at a wireless store in the area. A relative of Gayden, Kina Wallace, claimed the family had sought mental health help for her and pointed to system failures; this account is attributed solely to the relative.

Estefany Hernández and Pedro Izquierdo are demanding that the case be solved and justice served. Gayden faces serious charges while authorities examine the attack and her criminal history. The Venezuelan family living in Chicago has called for the crime not to remain unpunished.