Makaylah McKay was a 4-year-old African American girl who died on August 5, 2021, after being shot inside a residence in the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. The shooting occurred around 6 p.m. near 64th Street and Carpenter Street when another child found a gun that had been brought into the home in a bag and accidentally discharged it, striking Makaylah in the chest. She was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead.

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown described the shooting as accidental; police say a visiting relative had brought the gun, and one of the children located it. A man who was at the scene was taken in for questioning. Authorities have not disclosed whether Makaylah was holding the gun or if another child had it when it fired. No arrests or formal charges have been reported and the investigation remains ongoing.

The death devastated Makaylah’s family and the local community, and has been cited as highlighting the problem of gun violence affecting children in Chicago. If anyone has information about what happened that evening, please come forward to assist the investigation.