Chicago man accused of killing girl headed straight for her in apartment building, prosecutors say

CHICAGO (AP) — The man accused of killing a 9-year-old Chicago girl who had been riding her scooter outside crossed a street and headed straight toward her in the vestibule of her apartment building before shooting her, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Serabi Medina’s father, who had told her to come into the vestibule, shouted at Michael Goodman, but the man ignored him, allegedly raising his arm and shooting Medina in the head Saturday night in the Portage Park neighborhood, prosecutors said during a court hearing.

The father tackled Goodman, causing the gun to go off again and striking Goodman in the eye, according to prosecutors, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Goodman has been released from the hospital after being treated for the injury and appeared in court Tuesday.

The girl was rushed to Stroger Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Goodman, 43, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He was ordered held without bail Tuesday.

Goodman had a valid license to own the gun and has no other criminal background, prosecutors said.

An assistant public defender representing Goodman said he has lived in the city since 2009 and worked as a computer programmer for about two decades. Goodman, who said nothing during the hearing, is expected back in court Aug. 23.

Prosecutors offered no motive for the shooting during the brief court hearing, but witnesses said Goodman was upset over noise.

“It just didn’t make sense. None of it made sense,” neighbor Megan Kelley told the Sun-Times. ”Everybody in the community would just tell him they are just kids having fun playing. Just let them be.”

“Before he shot her, he had said something about them being too loud,” Kelley said.