Eddimar Hernández Chacón: 7-Year-Old Killed in Chicago Stabbing

Eddimar Hernández Chacón, a 7-year-old girl, was killed on Saturday, October 3, 2026, while walking with her teenage sister on South Cottage Grove Avenue in the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Shavon Gayden, 48, has been charged with first-degree murder in what the Chicago Sun-Times reports was described in court as an "unprovoked" attack.

Gayden did not appear at her first court date on Monday, October 5, because she was still in a hospital, and her detention hearing was moved to Wednesday. Eddimar's family gathered at the spot where she was attacked to remember her, and her mother has asked publicly for justice. Gayden has not been convicted and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Who Was Eddimar Hernández Chacón?

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office identified the child as Eddimar Paola Hernández Chacón, according to NBC Chicago. She was 7 years old. ABC News identified her mother as Estefany Hernandez.

On Sunday, October 4, relatives and neighbors held a vigil near 86th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue. NBC Chicago reported that the group formed a prayer circle and released white balloons in her memory. Speaking to Chicago station WLS at the vigil, her mother said: "There must be justice for my little girl. She wasn't bothering anyone."

Eddimar's uncle started a GoFundMe page to help with funeral costs. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that it had raised about $3,600 by Monday afternoon and that he wrote, in Spanish, that the family wanted to give her "a dignified farewell." He added that her death "leaves an indescribable void and immense pain for all of us who loved her."

What Happened in Chatham?

The attack happened late Saturday morning, shortly before noon, in the 8600 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue on Chicago's South Side. Eddimar and her older sister had gone to a store to pay a phone bill and were holding hands as they walked away, NBC Chicago reported, citing 8th Ward Ald. Michelle A. Harris and prosecutors. The reports differ on the sister's age: the Sun-Times gives it as 17, while NBC Chicago, citing the alderman, gives it as 16.

According to the Sun-Times, Assistant State's Attorney Mike Pekara said Gayden had been inside a nearby business moments earlier, where she allegedly threatened a salesperson. Prosecutors allege she then came up to the two sisters, moved first toward the older girl, who ducked out of the way, and then stabbed Eddimar.

NBC Chicago reported that a nursing student who saw what happened tried to help the child. Eddimar was taken to the University of Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 1:01 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Sun-Times.

Has Anyone Been Arrested?

Yes. Reports say bystanders stopped Gayden as she walked away from the scene. Chicago police said she was treated at a hospital for injuries she received while being held by members of the public and was then taken into custody, NBC Chicago reported.

Gayden is charged with one count of first-degree murder. NBC Chicago also reported a probation violation. The charge is an accusation, and prosecutors will have to prove it in court.

What Police and Officials Have Said

Chicago police said the child was walking on the sidewalk when a woman approached her, and they have not said what may have prompted the attack, according to NBC Chicago. No source has reported any connection between Gayden and the family.

"No family should ever have to experience the unimaginable pain of losing a child," Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement quoted by ABC News.

What Court Records Show About the Accused

The Sun-Times reported that Gayden was charged in September 2023 with striking a Chicago Transit Authority employee, pleaded guilty in October 2024 and received two years of probation. About a month after that plea she was arrested in a separate case involving a shelter worker, the newspaper reported. A warrant was issued in February 2025 when she failed to appear in the CTA case, and she completed six months of court supervision in the shelter case in January 2026.

CBS Chicago reported that she has had at least four criminal cases in Cook County since 2016. Its legal analyst, Irv Miller, told the station that "these cases fall between the cracks." Gayden's mother told NBC Chicago that she had tried for years to get her daughter help, and she offered her condolences to Eddimar's family.

What Happens Next

Gayden was ordered held until her next hearing. CBS Chicago reported that the detention hearing in the murder case is set for Wednesday, October 7, if she is medically cleared by the hospital, with another appearance on Thursday, October 8, for other legal matters. No trial date has been reported.

Timeline of the Eddimar Hernández Chacón Case

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is charged in the death of Eddimar Hernández Chacón?

Shavon Gayden, 48, is charged with first-degree murder. She has not been convicted and is presumed innocent.

Where and when was Eddimar Hernández Chacón killed?

She was attacked late in the morning on Saturday, October 3, 2026, in the 8600 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood, and died at a hospital that afternoon.

Did the accused know Eddimar or her family?

No source reports a connection. The attack was described in court as "unprovoked," and police have not disclosed a motive.

When is the next court date?

A detention hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7, 2026, depending on medical clearance, according to CBS Chicago.

MotiveX covers cases like this in documentary form on YouTube.

Sources

• Chicago Sun-Times: court hearing, charge and the accused woman's prior cases
• CBS Chicago: detention hearing postponed in Chatham case
• NBC Chicago: woman charged after death of 7-year-old girl in East Chatham
• NBC Chicago: prosecutors' account of the events before the attack
• NBC Chicago: statements from both families
• ABC News (via WDBO): mother's statement and mayor's response