Chicago: A seven-year-old girl was killed and eight people sustained injuries in what Chicago police believed was gang-related violence on the city's South Side on Saturday night.

Don Jerome, the Chicago Police Department Deputy Chief in a news briefing at the scene on a block of 52nd Street near Damen Avenue said that the minor girl was shot in the head and died, while a 1-year-old boy and a 7-year-old boy were each shot multiple times and are currently in critical condition. 

Police responding to a gunfire alert around 9 pm applied tourniquets and chest seals to victims, who also included adults between the ages of 19 and 40, he added.

Furthermore, the victims, who were standing outside at a family gathering at the time when the shooting occurred were transported to area hospitals by the Chicago Fire Department.

The deputy chief further said that the investigation is still in the preliminary stages but as witnesses two possible shooters are on foot, Jerome said.

“This was not a random act of violence. It was likely gang-related. Regardless of the motivation for this incident, three innocent children were struck tonight and one of them tragically succumbed to her wounds. The offenders' actions, make no mistake, are horrific and unacceptable in our city," Jerome said.

(Inputs from AP)