CHICAGO, IL. (THECOUNT) — Edi Mari Hernandez Chacon, 7, has been identified as the girl fatally stabbed Saturday in an unprovoked attack on Chicago’s South Side, with Shavon Gayden charged with first-degree murder in the child’s death.
Police have described the attack as unprovoked.
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Gayden, 48, has a documented history of previous criminal cases in Cook County, including two domestic-battery cases that were dropped, a conviction for attacking a Chicago Transit Authority employee, and a later battery case involving shelter workers. Court records also show an arrest warrant was issued after Gayden failed to appear for a court hearing in 2025, and reporting indicates the warrant remained active when she was arrested following Saturday’s fatal stabbing.
According to court records reviewed by multiple Chicago news organizations, Gayden was arrested for domestic battery in both 2016 and 2019. Both cases were dropped. In September 2023, she was arrested after allegedly attacking a CTA bus operator and threatening to stab the employee. She was charged with aggravated battery of a transit employee and aggravated assault of a transit employee.
Gayden later pleaded guilty in that case and received two years of probation. She was arrested again in 2024 in a case involving two people at a shelter and was accused of battery and assault. That case resulted in another guilty plea and a sentence of court supervision. Court records show she later failed to appear for a status hearing in the earlier case, prompting a judge to issue an arrest warrant in February 2025. Records indicate the warrant remained unresolved when Gayden was taken into custody after the child’s killing.
The current case centers on the Saturday attack in the 8600 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue in Chicago’s East Chatham neighborhood, about 10 miles south of downtown. Police said the girl was walking with her older sister shortly before noon when Gayden allegedly approached carrying a sharp object and stabbed the child multiple times in the back.
Prosecutors said Gayden had been inside a nearby business immediately before the attack and had threatened a sales associate. She then allegedly left the business carrying a tote bag, approached the sisters and lunged toward the older girl. When the older girl moved out of the way, prosecutors said Gayden grabbed Edi Mari, pulled her to the ground and stabbed her repeatedly.
Bystanders chased Gayden after the stabbing and detained her until police arrived. Gayden suffered injuries during the confrontation and was taken to a hospital, where she remained hospitalized and was unable to attend an initially scheduled Monday detention hearing. The hearing was continued to Wednesday.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the child as Edi Mari Hernandez Chacon. She was transported to the University of Chicago’s Comer Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead Saturday afternoon.
Investigators recovered additional knives from Gayden’s tote bag, according to prosecutors. Another knife believed to have been used in the attack was reportedly recovered nearby. Surveillance footage also captured portions of the incident.
Richard Hernandez Chacon, the girl’s uncle, described Edi Mari as a special child while seeking financial assistance for the family’s funeral expenses through a GoFundMe campaign.
Alderman Michelle Harris, whose 8th Ward includes the area, offered condolences to the family and thanked the bystanders who intervened after the stabbing.
The reported criminal history has brought additional scrutiny to Gayden’s previous contacts with the Cook County criminal justice system. CBS Chicago reported that she had been charged in at least four Cook County criminal cases since 2016, with two cases dropped and two resulting in convictions and probation.
The previous cases do not establish guilt in the current murder prosecution. Gayden is presumed innocent of the first-degree murder charge unless and until she is convicted in court.
Gayden is scheduled for a detention hearing Wednesday, where prosecutors are expected to present additional allegations supporting the first-degree murder charge. She also faces proceedings related to the previously reported probation matter.
Chicago’s East Chatham neighborhood is located on the city’s South Side in Cook County, approximately 10 miles south of The Loop and downtown Chicago, in a predominantly residential and commercial area along South Cottage Grove Avenue.
Google Maps: 8600 S Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago, IL
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