Fifteen-year-old Shaniya Daniels was shot and killed inside her family’s home in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood on July 26, 2022. The shooting occurred around 6:50 p.m. in the 2400 block of West Marquette Road; she was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital and pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The Cook County medical examiner ruled the cause of death a gunshot wound to the head.

Police say Shaniya’s 20-year-old brother, Lawrence Daniels, told investigators he was assembling a partially completed ghost gun in a bedroom when it accidentally discharged and struck his sister. Lawrence initially denied shooting her but later admitted it, saying he thought the weapon would not fire because it was missing parts and screws. He was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter. Officers recovered a bag outside the apartment containing two handguns, including the partially assembled ghost gun, which Lawrence said he had thrown from a third-floor window after the shooting.

The family and community mourned Shaniya’s death. Does anyone in Chicago Lawn have information about the incident or the Daniels family that could help clarify what happened?