The mother of a 7-year-old Chicago girl who was fatally stabbed on a South Side sidewalk is demanding justice as the woman accused in the attack faces a first-degree murder charge.

Estefany Hernandez broke down in tears during a community vigil Sunday at the scene of her daughter’s death in the Chatham neighborhood. Surrounded by family and friends, Hernandez fell to her knees as she mourned her child.

“My daughter’s death should not be left like this,” Hernandez told ABC Chicago station WLS. “There must be justice for my little girl. She wasn’t bothering anyone.”

Girl Killed in Broad Daylight

The victim was identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office as 7-year-old Edi Mari Hernandez Chacon. Her family told WLS that she was also known as Eddimar Paola Hernandez.

The fatal attack happened shortly before noon Saturday, Oct. 3, according to the Chicago Police Department.

Police said the girl was walking southbound along a sidewalk in Chatham when the suspect approached her, displayed a sharp object and stabbed her multiple times in the back.

The child was rushed to Comer Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Security footage from the area appeared to show the girl walking hand-in-hand with a woman whom relatives identified as her sister shortly before the attack, WLS reported.

Other footage reportedly showed bystanders running toward the area after the stabbing and intervening to detain the suspect.

Suspect Charged With First-Degree Murder

Police identified the suspect as 48-year-old Shavon Gayden. According to the Chicago Police Department, people who witnessed the attack detained her at the scene until officers arrived.

Gayden suffered non-life-threatening injuries while being restrained by bystanders, police said. She was subsequently charged with first-degree murder.

Gayden was initially scheduled to appear in court Monday. However, her hearing was postponed until Wednesday because she remains hospitalized, a spokesperson for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office told ABC News.

Police have not announced a possible motive. The circumstances surrounding the stabbing remain under investigation.

Chicago Alderman Michelle Harris said during Sunday’s vigil that Gayden had allegedly been involved in an altercation with employees at a wireless store in Chatham shortly before the fatal stabbing, according to WLS.

Suspect Has Previous Assault Convictions

Court records obtained by WLS show that Gayden has previously been convicted of assault.

The records include a 2023 case involving an attack on a Chicago Transit Authority bus driver. Gayden was sentenced to two years of probation in that case.

According to records reviewed by WLS, she later violated her probation in 2024 after allegedly assaulting two shelter workers and was sentenced to court supervision.

Authorities have not said whether those previous cases were connected in any way to Saturday’s fatal stabbing.

Mayor Calls Death “Heartbreaking”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said he was “heartbroken” by the child’s death.

“No family should ever have to experience the unimaginable pain of losing a child, and no child should ever have to fear for her life simply walking through her neighborhood,” Johnson said in a social media statement. “We are praying for them and for everyone impacted by this horrifying tragedy.”

At Sunday’s vigil, the focus remained on the young girl and the grief of the family she left behind.

As the investigation continues and Gayden awaits her first court appearance, Hernandez is calling for accountability for the death of her daughter, who police said was attacked while simply walking through her neighborhood.