3-year-old shot and killed in road rage incident, police say

CHICAGO (WLS) – A toddler boy was shot and killed in what police are calling a road-rage incident in Chicago.

All that remains of the terrifying incident that left 3-year-old Mateo Zastro dead is shattered glass.

The Chicago Police Department said the boy was riding in the car with his mother and three siblings Friday night when it all unfolded. They said she was attempting to flee the other vehicle in the road rage incident.

She, unfortunately, didn’t make it far. Police said she made it two blocks away, was tracked down, and then shots were fired.

Police said someone in the backseat of a red Sedan took aim at the mother’s car, and a bullet struck Mateo in the head. A nearby home was also riddled with bullets.

The mother kept driving, according to authorities, and Mateo was taken to a hospital where he died.

Andrew Holmes, a community activist, said the mother is still grieving.

“All she doing is clutching onto two dinosaurs, and this was the baby’s favorite toy,” he said.

He said community members are trying to get “these baby killers” off the streets.

“There was no tint on that window. You seen those children inside of that car, and you still discharged that weapon,” Holmes said, referring to the shooter.

In the wake of the shooting, anti-violence group Communities Partnering 4 Peace returned to the scene to help as much as they could.

“We’re out here trying to combat this violence, trying to help people get their neighborhoods back.”

Police are now vowing to make sure the boy’s killer is held accountable.

“We will not rest until those responsible for this senseless and cowardly act of violence are brought to justice,” Commander Bryan Spreyne, with the Chicago Police Department, said.

Chicago police are asking anyone who may have information on the shooting to contact them, with a $7,000 reward being offered.