8 Year-Old Child Commits Suicide on Chicago's West Side

On Sunday, 15 December, 2019, Chicago Police Beat 1014 was assigned to an OEMC Zone-10 radio notification of a child found hanging in a closet at 42xx W. Cullerton and instructed to ride with EMS. Beat 1014 later requested a Sgt and 1010 was assigned.

UCR Code: 5067

RD# JC-548115

Event# 10744

CPD Beat 1011 was assigned to what the on-scene SGT. referred to as a crimescene for Beat 1013 who was the original crimescene car, who needed to drop materials off at Stroger Hospital and 1011 would be clear to return to his beat when 1013 was clear from Stroger and arrived to guard the scene.

At 6:26PM, a 010th district unit transported the child's mother to Stroger Hospital where the child was pronounced deceased.

At 10:03PM, CPD Beat 1014 notified OEMC Citywide 2.

M.E. Investigator Cruz #72 notified

Officer Carrasco - Star# 15181 was the requesting officer

Detective Jakstavich notified

CPD Detectives from the area Detective Division were still on-scene at the time this tragedic news was published by Chicago-One.

Chicagoans and people across the globe showed an outpouring of grief and support for the family via Twitter. One of those people was Chicago's own Pastor Donovan Price who serves the community as the leader of what is known as "Street Pastors" also called Solutions and Resources

no words....I’m leaving the hospital I prayed with everyone I prayed next to the little fellow and though I was praying my soul was screaming not just for this child but for all of OUR children today

— Pastor Donovan Price (@sltionsnresrces) December 16, 2019

 A Chicago Police Dispatch Supervisor tweeted his heartbreak for the family

Some of the hardest notifications I ever had to make.

Grown ass men shooting each other is one thing.

Regular deaths, you get used to it.

Kids who can't stand to live, be it because of bullying or some worse shit? Kids who have gone through shitty ass abuse? Tear-jerking.

— Tremayne Price (@TWP75) December 16, 2019

CBS 2 Chicago published the following with their article:

"Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10 and 18. But for children between 5 and 8, it is exceedingly rare.

In 2017, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that out of the more than 16 million children in that 5- to 8-year-old age group in the entire country only one child in that age range died by suicide.

And although suicide does not seem like a proper dinner time conversation, experts say it should be. They say there is a misconception that talking with young people about suicide may get them to consider doing it.

But experts say the truth is that parents will never know whether a child is thinking about suicide if they’re simply too afraid to ask the question."

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is here to help!

 Call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year 1-800-273-8255