What was meant to be a night of dancing and joy turned into a nightmare for a Zumba class in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood Monday. A shooting left a 13-year-old girl with special needs and three adults injured in a shocking scene all caught on camera.
Witnesses told NBC Chicago the night started off as a normal class, but things quickly turned chaotic when gunshots erupted around 8:30 p.m. at the Body Factory Nutrition studio in the 1500 block of West 51st Street.
According to Chicago police, officers were called to the scene for a report of multiple people shot at the studio. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire and then windows breaking.
Surveillance video showed multiple shots fired as the room full of dancers races for cover. Balloons fall from the ceilings as cries and screaming are heard.
A 13-year-old girl was shot in the lower back and hospitalized in fair condition, a 48-year-old woman was shot in the upper left arm and listed in good condition, a 57-year-old woman was shot in her right middle finger and was listed in good condition and a 29-year-old man was shot in the back of the neck and hospitalized in critical condition. The man’s condition was later upgraded to good, according to authorities.
Two of the four victims spoke to Telemundo Chicago and NBC Chicago exclusively Tuesday.
The mother of Anahí Vásquez said she simply wants to bring her daughter home, but despite everything, the young teen remains in good spirits and smiling.
“She started crying when she felt the bullet hit,” Idalia Sánchez said in Spanish, speaking from her daughter’s hospital bedside. “I just held her and told her everything would be okay. I kept telling her she’s strong and prayed to the Virgin Mary and God to protect her.”
According to Sánchez, doctors have decided to leave the bullet inside Anahí, fearing that removing it could cause more damage.
Fernando Garza, a father himself, was also among the wounded.
“I remember the blood, especially the little girl,” he said. “My blood in my hands from the wound, from the shot in my head, and just everybody on the floor.”
One of the owners of the Zumba studio told Telemundo Chicago they have decided to close their studio immediately and relocate.
Police are still searching for those responsible for the shooting.
For now, Anahí has one simple wish.
“Let’s go home—let’s go home,” she said, kissing her mother from her hospital bed.