9-year-old Tyshawn Lee killed in Chicago was ‘targeted’ by gangs, police say

‘The most abhorrent, cowardly, unfathomable crime I’ve ever witnessed in 35 years of policing’

Chicago police address journalists over schoolboy Tyshawn Lee's murder (AP)

A 9-year-old boy was shot and killed in what is being treated as a ‘targeted’ attack, according to police.

The murder of Tyshawn Lee, who on Monday afternoon was deliberately lured from a Chicago park to a secluded alleyway, is thought to have been gang-related.

Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy told local news: "Tyshawn Lee was murdered in probably the most abhorrent, cowardly, unfathomable crime that I've witnessed in 35 years of policing.

"This is an innocent child, this is a 9-year-old child, targeted, lured to this spot and murdered.”

9-year-old Tyshawn Lee was murdered on November 2 (Facebook)

He said the shooting is likely the latest “in a series of gang-related violent events” that began as early as August.

Lee, who was still in his school uniform, was shot multiple times in the head and back.

McCarthy, who has said the boy's father has gang ties and is not cooperating with investigators, said the people allegedly involved in the shooting are known, but the police can’t yet do anything about it.

Pierre Stokes, the victim’s father, told NBC Chicago: "I'm not the gang banger type. I don't do that.

“It ends here. There will be no retaliation. I lost my son. This will be the end of it."

Stokes also believes his son was targeted: "No little boy gets shot seven times on accident. That's not an accident, that's an execution."

He said he doesn’t know why anyone would do that.

Kara Lee, the boy’s mother has begged for someone to come forward with information on the murder.

"Please come forward and find whoever did this to my baby. Oh my god I love my son. I'm going to miss him."

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the shooter is evil: "I believe fundamentally in the goodness of human nature, but there is evil in the world.

“Whoever did this, there is a special place for them. I hope they never see freedom. I hope they never see daylight."