Jonylah Watkins was six months old when she was killed in a shooting on Monday. The baby caught in the crossfire of gang-related violence in Chicago while her father, the intended target of the shooting, changed her diaper in their minivan.
Jonathan Watkins survived the attack and is working with police to find the shooter, Rev. Corey Brooks told the Chicago-Sun Times.
Brooks also told the newspaper that Rose has offered to pay for a portion of Jonylah’s funeral. Rose or his representatives are working with Leak and Sons Funeral Home, Brooks said.
Further Brooks said that Watkins is not affiliated with any of Chicago’s four major street gangs, and has not had any trouble with the law since 2007.
“A lot of people are saying it was gang related,” Brooks said. “That’s not true from our stand point. Jonathan was not in a gang. We don’t know whether the shooter was, but [Watkins] was not in a gang.”
Even with strict gun laws in the city, Chicago saw more then 500 murders last year.