CHATHAM — The family of Eddimar Hernández Chacón is remembering the 7-year-old as “a very special girl” as new details emerged in court Monday about the woman accused of stabbing the young girl to death on a Chatham sidewalk in an apparent violent outburst.

Around noon Saturday, Eddimar was walking with her sister in the 8600 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue when Shavon Gayden approached the girl before displaying a knife and stabbing her multiple times in the back, police and prosecutors said.

Eddimar was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said.

Security footage showed Gayden, 48, calmly walking away before bystanders chased after her and detained her until police arrived, WGN reported. Gayden was injured in the process and was later taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Gayden was charged with first degree murder and was scheduled to appear in court Monday on the charges, but her case was continued as she is hospitalized for a head injury she suffered while being subdued, prosecutors said.

Eddimar Hernández Chacón was fatally stabbed Oct. 3, 2026, in Chatham. Her family described her as a “very special girl.” Credit: GoFundMe

Eddimar’s uncle, Richard Hernández Chacón, described the loss of his niece as heartbreaking in a GoFundMe post that has raised nearly $4,000 towards an $18,000 goal to cover funeral expenses.

“With a heart full of sorrow, I am setting up this fundraiser to help our family cover the expenses that have arisen following her passing,” he wrote in Spanish on the fundraiser page. “During such a difficult time, we want to give Eddimar a dignified farewell.

“To our family, Eddimar will always be a very special girl. Her passing leaves an indescribable void and immense pain for all of us who loved her. … May God welcome our little Eddimar into His arms and grant her eternal rest,” he added.

Prosecutors said Gayden had threatened a sales associate at a nearby store moments before she was captured on surveillance video approaching Eddimar and her 16-year-old sister, prosecutors said in court Monday.

Police recovered multiple knives in Gayden’s bag, prosecutors said. Gayden has an extensive criminal history including four charges since 2016, including a 2023 conviction for assaulting a CTA bus driver, according to prosecutors.

She violated her probation in that case and had an outstanding felony warrant for failing to appear in court, prosecutors said.

Gayden, of Avalon Park, is expected to appear in court for her detention hearing on Wednesday.

Gayden’s mother, who didn’t share her name, apologized for her daughter’s actions in a phone interview with ABC-7. She said her daughter has struggled with mental health issues for decades and that her family struggled to provide her with the needed care.

“The little baby didn’t deserve it. My daughter was not in her right mind,” she said.

Ald. Michelle Harris (8th) thanked bystanders for their help on the scene and said “our community must come together to support the victim and hold the perpetrator accountable.

“I am deeply saddened by the senseless stabbing of a 7-year-old child in our neighborhood,” Harris said in a statement. “My heart goes out to her family, friends, and everyone who is affected by this horrific incident. No child should ever have to experience violence or fear while simply walking down the sidewalk.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson said he is “heartbroken” over the fatal stabbing.

“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 post on social media. “My deepest condolences are with this little girl’s family and loved ones, and the entire Chatham community as we grieve this devastating loss.”

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