Hundreds of people Monday filled a Southwest Side street where a 9-year-old girl was killed in a shooting that left 10 of her relatives wounded over the weekend.
Ariana Molina, 9, died of a gunshot wound to the head when shots were fired about 9 p.m. Saturday in the 5200 block of South Damen Avenue while Ariana’s family was celebrating her aunt’s confirmation. Three boys ages 1, 8 and 9 and seven adults were also wounded in the shooting, which drew condemnation from Mayor Brandon Johnson and brought hundreds to the site of the shooting in the New City neighborhood to support Ariana’s family.
All the other victims were recovering from their injuries Monday afternoon, according to Ariana’s father Jose Molina, but he said the 1-year-old boy may need surgery. Molina, other family members and neighbors remembered Ariana as playful, smart and a loving big sister.
Late Monday afternoon, people milled around a stack of balloons, stuffed animals and other offerings placed on the sidewalk near the family’s home. A table decorated with photos of Ariana held a crucifix and a prayer candle. A few feet from the memorial, blood still dripped down the curb into the street.
Across from the home, a woman wrangled a bundle of pink and white heart-shaped balloons out of a car. After an hour of prayer, song and speeches, the crowd released the balloons, which floated west.
Chicago police have said the shooting was likely gang-related. Neighbors and other family members were adamant that Ariana and her family were unlucky bystanders to gang activity in a community that is doing its best to keep their blocks safe despite conflict between groups.
Speaking to the crowd later Monday in the closed-off street, Ariana’s cousin Esmerelda Vargas said her family had not been targeted.
“We need to fix that narrative,” said Vargas, 20, a University of Illinois student. “(They) were just trying to enjoy a party.”
She pleaded with those who had information about the shooting to come forward and with city officials to help them.
“All of you politicians, hear us,” she said. “We are tired of this happening in our communities. Please be with us. Please help us get justice.”
Two women who stood across the street taking in the memorial remembered Ariana as a bright girl who always kept her younger siblings safe when they played on the sidewalk. She liked to dye her hair and to roller-skate, they said.
The neighbors said gang activity has intensified on their block since 2020. They were frustrated with how police have responded to their calls about the uptick.
“They are running up and down our street with rifles,” said one of the neighbors, who declined to give her name out of concern for her safety. “ There’s no reason why we should have to keep our children in the house because of this.”
Sam Castro, director of community violence intervention at the Institute for Nonviolence, said there are about six active gangs in the area and attributed their prevalence to a lack of community resources and alternatives. The institute lists New City and Back of the Yards as one of its target areas where it works to reduce gun violence.
Castro said even among people who are involved in local gangs, “nobody respects what happened here.”
“These are kids that had nothing to do with it,” he said. “Even the people still in that life, they’re like, ‘this is unacceptable.’”
Decadeslong gang conflicts in the area have, at times, led to shootings involving rifles.
In 2017, the Tribune reported on a rise in the use of rifles amid the conflict between the Saints and La Razas — two of the largest gangs operating in Back of the Yards.
The neighborhood has been the scene of other mass shootings in recent years, too. Thirteen people were shot in Cornell Square Park, half a mile from Saturday’s shooting, in September 2013.
Alissa Gonzalez, a friend of the family and former neighbor, said she had a brother the same age as Ariana.
“I watched that little girl grow up,” said Gonzalez, 19. “We can’t even have gatherings or have fun, because things like this happen.”
She said she wanted better for her neighborhood.
