A 6-year-old boy fatally stabbed his 2-year-old brother at their family’s home in Joliet, Ill., Friday afternoon, authorities said.
Officers from the Joliet Police Department were called just after 5 p.m. to a residence in the 2700 block of Fairway Drive for a report of a stabbing involving a child. When they arrived, they found a 2-year-old boy with multiple stab wounds, CBS News in Chicago reported.
The child was rushed to St. Joseph Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
A preliminary investigation indicates the young victim “was stabbed with a kitchen knife by his 6-year-old brother while in the family room of the residence,” authorities said.
The boy was discovered by his mother, who then called 911.
Investigators say she was home but in another room at the time of the stabbing.
Police took the 6-year-old boy into protective custody and notified the state Department of Children and Family Services. He was taken to the Joliet Police Department along with his family.
Custody of the boy was transferred to DCFS, which coordinated with county officials to transport the child to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation.
“Everyone in this incident is a victim,” Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English told reporters Friday night. “We’re always looking for why. Those are answers we hope we’ll get but we may never get just because of some of the difficulties surrounding the investigation.”
On Saturday, Police Chief Bill Evans expressed his sympathies to the boys’ family and thanked first responders for their “compassion and professionalism” in responding to “such a heartbreaking incident.”
“Our community is outraged by this devastating event as I cannot come up with a sufficient statement that can adequately express the sadness and pain we all feel after this heartbreaking event,” Evans said.
Joliet, a city of 150,000, is located approx 35 miles southwest of Chicago.