Seven minors are facing battery charges in the attack of a mother and her 9-year-old son near a Southeast Side school this fall.
The children, four boys and three girls ranging in age from 10 to 13, have each been charged with misdemeanor battery causing bodily harm, according to Chicago police. Two of those charged face two counts, while the other five face one count. Released from custody, the children were also referred to counseling services, police said.
The charges stem from an incident last month that was captured on video and circulated widely on social media.
On Nov. 17, a 33-year-old woman and her son were walking in the 10600 block of South Bensley Avenue in the South Deering neighborhood on the city’s Far South Side when a group approached and struck them multiple times, police said at the time.
Following the attack, which took place about two blocks northwest of Orville T. Bright Elementary School, the woman and boy were transported to Advocate Trinity Hospital, where they were initially listed in serious condition.
The confrontation stoked fear among Bright parents and gained the attention of Mayor Brandon Johnson.
In the wake of the attack, Johnson wrote on social media that he was “deeply disturbed to see the video of young people attacking a mother and her child.” Shortly after, Johnson’s spokesperson confirmed that the mayor’s office had moved the woman’s family to a different location and that their team was also looking into transferring the son to a new school.
In response to the incident, Chicago Public Schools affirmed that it was committed to “building a physically and emotionally safe teaching and learning environment in every school.” The Chicago Teachers Union stated that it believes this is an opportunity for the city to provide the resources that students need.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/children-charged-south-deering-school-attack/
