A routine trip to pay a phone bill turned tragic Saturday when 7-year-old Eddimar Paola Hernández Chacón was fatally stabbed while walking with her teenage sister on Chicago’s South Side.
The incident happened shortly before noon along South Cottage Grove Avenue near East 86th Street in the East Chatham neighborhood. According to prosecutors, Eddimar and her sister had just left a nearby wireless store and were walking hand-in-hand when they encountered 48-year-old Shavon Gayden.
Prosecutors said Gayden had been involved in a confrontation inside a nearby business shortly before the stabbing. Employees told investigators that she allegedly yelled profanities and threatened to kill them before leaving the store. No weapon was displayed during that confrontation, according to the information presented in court.
As Gayden walked in the opposite direction from the sisters, prosecutors said she pulled a knife from a tote bag decorated with pumpkins and lunged toward the teenager. The older sister managed to move out of the way.
Prosecutors allege that Gayden then turned toward Eddimar, grabbed the child and pulled her to the ground before stabbing her multiple times in the back.
Surveillance footage captured the aftermath. Witnesses rushed toward the child, while others followed Gayden as she tried to leave the area. Police said several bystanders were able to detain her before officers arrived.
Gayden was injured during the struggle and was taken to a hospital for treatment. She remained hospitalized Monday and did not appear for her scheduled court appearance.
Eddimar was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Prosecutors said she suffered four stab wounds to her back.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the child after her death. Family members and neighbors later gathered near the scene for a vigil, where they prayed and released white balloons in her memory.
The case has also raised questions about Gayden’s previous encounters with the law. According to court records reported Monday, she had previously faced battery-related cases, including an incident involving a CTA employee in 2023. She later pleaded guilty and received probation. Court records also show she was involved in another battery case involving a shelter worker.
Gayden now faces a first-degree murder charge as well as a probation violation. Prosecutors have alleged that Eddimar was not known to Gayden and have described the stabbing as unprovoked.
Gayden’s mother told reporters outside the courthouse that she had spent years trying to get her daughter help. She did not provide details about what kind of help she had sought, but expressed sympathy for Eddimar’s family.
Eddimar’s death has left her family and neighbors mourning a child who was simply walking home with her sister when the attack occurred. The investigation and court proceedings remain ongoing.
Gayden is expected to remain in custody while the case moves forward, with another court hearing scheduled this week.
