Hundreds marched through the streets of Chicago on Saturday to protest the city’s violence that claimed 6-month-old baby Jonylah Watkins on March 12.
The demonstration began at 10 a.m. Dulles Elementary School at 63rd and Calumet Streets and continued down to 65th and Maryland Streets.
The group chanted throughout their walk, shouting, “Stop the violence,” and, “You save my baby, I’ll save your baby.”
Police said father Jonathan Watkins told them he was changing the diaper on his 6-month-old daughter, Jonylah Watkins, on Monday when someone came up behind him and started shooting. Sources told NBC Chicago on Wednesday police had their doubts about that story.
The girl suffered multiple injuries to her little body and died the morning after the shooting. A medical examiner source told NBC Chicago the damage to her thigh, shoulder, lung live and bowels may have been caused by a single bullet.
Jonathan Watkins, police said, has ties to Chicago gang the Gangster Disciples and has an extensive criminal record. Police records show he's been arrested 39 times and was likely the shooter's intended target. Numerous weapons violations and an attempt to steal his car back from police after it was impounded are among the previous charges against the father.
"He paid for his crime. He's fine with that. We're not trying to hide from that. We're not ducking and dodging from that," Pastor Corey Brooks, acting as the family's spokesman, said Thursday night. "But that's not the issue. The issue is a baby got shot and killed and we need everybody to stay on point and stay on focus on what happened."
Jonylah Watkins' funeral has been scheduled for March 19. Brooks said basketball star Derrick Rose has offered to pay for the services.
An $11,000 reward stands for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.
