Chicago teen shot by stray bullet after pleading in video for end to gun violence

The teenager is in critical condition in hospital after a bullet passed close to his spine

Just last year, 12-year-old Zarriel Trotter took part in a public education campaign to speak out against violence in his Chicago neighborhood.

“I don’t want to live around my community where I’ve got to keep on hearing and hearing [about] people keep on getting shot, people keep on getting killed,” he said in the video, seeking to educate people about the impact of gun violence on the city’s black youth.

On Friday evening, Zarriel, now aged 13, became another statistic in the gun violence that has worn down his city when he was shot and seriously injured by a stray bullet as he walked home after playing basketball.

The youngster was just 12 when he took part in the anti-violence video (YouTube)

Reports said the bullet narrowly missed the teenager’s spine and that he remains in a critical condition in a Chicago hospital.

The youngster is just one of dozens of people shot and wounded every week in Chicago. Reports suggest the city is averaging seven shootings a day, with one of them being fatal.

Several of the incidents have been high profile, among them a shoot-out involving rival gang members on Lake Shore Drive, the wounding of three Chicago police officers and the gang execution of nine-year-old Tyshawn Lee last November.

The city's police force has struggled to tackle the violence and there have been a number of incidents of black suspects being shot by officers in controversial circumstances. One officer has been charged with murder over the shooting of a teenager, while Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been under pressure to resign. He recently fired his police chief and appointed veteran officer Eddie Johnson as the interim head.

Zarriel is a pupil at Catalyst Circle Rock, where he was one of a handful of students were selected to take part in the public service broadcast.

In the video, seven of the school’s male students talked about their feelings of both fear and sadness. Zarriel spoke about half-way through the video and talked of his exhaustion with the killings.

The teenager was walking home about 8.30pm after playing basketball when a heated argument broke out between two groups on the street.

A man from one group pulled out a gun and fired shots, Chicago Police spokesman Veejay Zala told the Chicago Tribune. Zarriel was struck, though he was not the intended target. He was just yards from his home.

The school’s headteacher, Elizabeth Jamison-Dunn, told The Independent that the teenager was involved in the school’s mentoring programmes.

"His family is remaining strong. They are seeing some signs of progress so they are hopeful he will make a full recovery," she said.

“He is just a great big brother. He has a lots of friends who are missing him. He brings a lot of laughter and joy."