Nykea Aldridge was killed on Friday when she was struck by a stray bullet during a fire exchange between gang members while pushing her 3 week old infant in a stroller in Chicago’s South Side. But the mother of four was not the target of the attacks, according to Chicago police, but rather an innocent bystander who had no connection with her killers.
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Two male suspects walked up and fired shots at a third man, according to Chicago Police.
Chicago Police Superintendent, Eddie Johnson is frustrated with the violence in Chicago, especially after Aldrige’s shooters being repeat offenders. “When will enough be enough?”
Wade has reacted to his cousin’s shooting online, tweeting on Friday: “My cousin was killed today in Chicago”.
Nykea Aldridge’s famous relative, who grew up in Chicago’s south suburbs, tweeted to his almost 6 million followers about her death, saying Friday it was an “act of senseless gun violence” and posting Saturday morning that Chicago needs “more help& more hands on deck”. “It just hurts to hear kids saying they want their mom, and their mom won’t be in their lives anymore”. Derren Sorrells is a known gang member who is also on parole for motor vehicle theft and escape, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said, adding he has six felony arrests on his record.
“My cousin was killed today in Chicago”, Wade said in one tweet.
Much of the increase in Chicago homicides is related to more shootings, which have been climbing since 2013 but have spiked this year to 2,312 as of early Monday.
“Bullets that fly around that have no name made a decision to find its way to her head”, said Wade’s mother, Jolinda, a pastor.
Donald Trump sparked outrage on Saturday when he used the shooting death of basketball star Dwyane Wade’s cousin as a reason black voters will support his presidential campaign. He also linked her shooting death to a wave of violence that has been sweeping the Chicago’s South Side.
The Bulls guard and his mother, pastor Jolina Wade, took part Thursday in a forum on gun violence hosted by ESPN. “I can’t bring her back but I forgive them, and I just pray to God that they pray to God to ask forgiveness for what they’ve done”. So much more needs to be done to end violence in Chicago. We need more help & more hands on deck.
Taylor placed four stuffed animals, one for each of Aldridge’s children including a newborn baby, on a nearby tree that turned into a makeshift memorial on Saturday. “We’re still going to help empower people like the one who senselessly shot my niece in the head”.
In 2012, Wade’s nephew, Darin Johnson, was shot twice in the leg but recovered.
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“When Nykea Aldridge registered her child at school on Friday afternoon she wasn’t aware that shed be the subject of national headlines just hours later”, Johnson said.
