Ashake Banks said she opened a candy stand on the street of her North Austin block two weeks ago to keep kids close to their homes and maybe away from gang crossfire. That's how old Heaven Sutton was when she died Wednesday night of a gunshot to the back. "So I figured that if I set up a big tent and a candy store, it would keep the kids in the middle of the block instead of going down to the [corners] where all the activity was." "I figured they (gang members) know us, they wouldn't come to the neighborhood and start shooting, but they really didn't even care. Banks said she threw herself to the ground while her daughter ran for the family's home. She and Heaven were planning a trip to Disney World next month, a reward for the girl's good grades this year. Police recently released statistics showing the number of Chicago Public School students shot this past school year -- 319 -- was the highest in four years. The Austin community, which includes the North Austin neighborhood, has seen 16 homicides so far this year -- four in the last week. Banks had opened the stand to keep a closer watch on and protect children in her violent neighborhood on Chicago's west side. Instead, Ashake now plans a march with neighbors tonight to send a message and a challenge: "They cannot get away with just killing my baby. Another different approach came earlier this week when police gave the details of a $1 million partnership with CeaseFire, an organization that relies on ex-gang members to mediate conflicts and prevent violence.
– The latest victim of Chicago's surge in gang violence is just seven years old. Heaven Sutton died after being shot in the back at a candy stand her mom set up two weeks ago to help keep neighborhood kids close to home and away from gang crossfire, reports the Chicago Tribune. "She looked forward every day to opening up the candy store, and for somebody just to come take her life, it's not right," says her mother. Heaven, she says, had just had her hair done ahead of a family trip to Disney World to reward her for good grades. Heaven's mother believes the shooter was targeting somebody in the crowd near the stand. She had hoped gangs would stay away from a place meant for kids, but they "really didn’t even care," she says. "They killed my baby." Homicides in Chicago are up 38% this year and Heaven is the 253rd victim. Asked about the shooting, an angry Mayor Rahm Emanuel said, "This is not about crime. This is about values. Take your gang conflict away from a seven-year-old. Who raised you?" ABC reports. "Stay away from the kids!" he said.