Three people including two kids have been killed after their car was targeted in a mystery shooting attack on a major road.
Under circumstances that are still unclear, shots were fired on the I-57 in Chicago resulting in three deaths and left three more people injured and hospitalised in a critical condition on Sunday night
Illinois State Police reported that six people were travelling in a vehicle on the south side of the city when shots were fired around 10.30pm (4.30am UK).
Police stated that a 19-year-old man, a 14-year-old boy, and a two-year-old girl were pronounced dead at the scene.
The female driver of the SUV was able to exit the major road at the next junction.
One woman was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious but stable condition, while two boys aged 13 and 14 were transported to Comer Children's Hospital in serious but stable condition, according to the police.
Pastor Donovan Price, who lives locally, came to the scene of the crime, visibly upset by the violence.
"A Sunday night, crime has been a little down but tonight, it was just tragic," said Pastor Price.
"Children shot, possibly more than one. Police officers luckily were on hand, took the child to the hospital."
Authorities have yet to release any information regarding the suspect or the vehicle involved in the incident.
The circumstances under which the shooting happened remain unclear.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have appealed to the public for assistance in identifying the individual or individuals responsible for the attack.
The incident comes as gun violence resulted in eleven more people being shot over the weekend in different areas across the state, Chicago police said.
The victims include Gary Winston, 45, who was found dead on a sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds, and two other individuals who were shot and killed in separate incidents in the South Chicago and South Shore neighbourhoods.
In addition, a 23-year-old man was shot multiple times during an argument following a traffic crash on the Near West Side.
Last weekend, there were at least 22 people shot, four of whom died.
