Man Arrested In Fatal Shooting Of 2-Year-Old Boy In Hermosa

CHICAGO — A man has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a 2-year-old boy earlier this month, police announced Monday. The child and an 18-year-old man were shot in the Hermosa neighborhood on Oct. 6, police said.

Alexander Varela, 27, has been charged with first degree murder, police said. Varela is a known gang member with a nearly-decade long criminal record, according to police.

The 2-year-old and 18-year-old man were standing standing near an alley in the 2200 block of North Kilbourn at around 10:17 p.m., when someone began shooting from the end of the street, police said. Two women were fighting inside an alley between Kilbourn and Kenneth Avenues when the shots were fired, according to police.

Police said Varela ordered another man to fire the shots.

The 2-year-old was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The teenager was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition.

The toddler has been identified as Julien Gonzalez, according to the Chicago Tribune. The boy lived in the Clearing neighborhood on the Southwest Side.

Police said they are searching for more suspects in the shooting death, and the investigation was ongoing.

Varela was scheduled to appear in bond court on Monday.

Image via Chicago Police Department