Eternity Gaddy was a 13-year-old girl visiting family in Chicago’s Humboldt Park when she was shot and killed on September 1, 2008. She had been standing with her cousin outside her great aunt’s home when, witnesses say, four men emerged from a nearby alley and one began firing. The attackers were reported to have shouted gang names as they fled; Eternity was struck by a stray bullet and pronounced brain dead shortly afterward. She was scheduled to return to Allentown, Pennsylvania with her mother the next morning.

Her death occurred amid several child victims of random shootings that weekend and became a focal point in discussions about gun violence and community safety. Eternity’s name was noted as chosen to symbolize hope and resilience, a cruel contrast with how her life ended. If anyone knew Eternity, her family, or witnessed the shooting, please share information that could help clarify what happened.