EAST CHICAGO, Ind. — Authorities say an 8-year-old northwest Indiana girl has died days after she was shot in the head by stray gunfire as she did her homework.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office says Timya Andrews died Wednesday at Comer Children’s Hospital, where she had been hospitalized in critical condition since the Oct. 22 shooting in East Chicago.
Police have said someone outside the home fired 16 shots from an automatic weapon. One stray bullet struck Timya in the head as she did her homework on the living room floor.
Police do not believe she was the intended target of the shooting.
No suspects were in custody as of Wednesday.
East Chicago Deputy Police Chief Jose Rivera said after the shooting that police need witnesses to come forward and cooperate with detectives.
“Any time a child is the victim of senseless gun violence it affects and saddens us all. Thoughts, prayers and caring emojis on social media will not bring the shooter to justice. We need witnesses to come forward and cooperate with our detectives," Rivera said in a statement to NBC Chicago. "We can’t allow these cowardly thugs to randomly open fire in our community with impunity. Our department will use all the resources we have available to help us catch the shooter and any person involved."
