Mother speaks out after fatal shooting of 5-month-old daughter

CHICAGO — A woman is speaking out for the first time after the shooting of her 5-month-old daughter in South Shore last week.

Juanita Harris—mother of the now deceased Cecelia Thomas —is asking for the shooter to come forward and turn themselves in. A week has passed since the shooting of the Cecelia and no arrests have been made.

“Turn yourself in. We are not going to prolong it,” said Harris. “You’re sitting out there and it’s eating you up inside. You see me. The same pain I’m feeling. You need to turn yourself in because you don’t understand how I’m feeling.”

Chicago police say Cecelia was riding in the backseat of her father’s car near 71st and Luella Avenue when another car approached them, opened fire and hit her in the head. Harris says they were on their way to drop off their child with a family member when the shooting happened.

Paramedics were called to the scene and took the child to Comer’s Children’s Hospital where she died from her injuries.

Cecelia is among the youngest gun violence victims in Chicago this year.

Mayoral candidate Ja’Mal Green is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.