A 6-year-old girl who was critically wounded in gang crossfire last week in Logan Square was released from Stroger Hospital Tuesday.
Jaylene Bermeo was shot in the chest while she and other children in her family were drawing with sidewalk chalk in the 2100 block of North Bingham about 8 p.m. June 6, according to Cook County prosecutors.
A relative took her to Presence Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center, and she was transferred to Stroger in critical condition, police said. The bullet hit Jaylene in the back, punctured her lung and was lodged in her chest close to her heart.
“Jaylene will continue to recuperate at home with her family, and her physicians will continue to monitor her as she recovers,” a hospital spokeswoman said Tuesday.
Police allege a 17-year-old boy was driving down the block when he opened fire on rival gang members, inadvertently striking the girl in the back. He was charged as a juvenile with aggravated battery with a handgun and remains in custody.
“Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as Jaylene recovers,” the Bermeo family said in a statement last week. “We truly appreciate the support our family has received during this difficult time. Please keep the prayers coming for Jaylene’s full recovery so she can get back to the dance classes she loves so much.”
