CHICAGO – The mother of a slain 4-year-old from the South Side of Chicago asked city officials why they have not done more to fight crime, so other parents would not have to bury their children.
"It's been over 300 days since my son was murdered and still no one is in custody," said Angela Gregg, whose son, Mychal "MJ" Moultry Jr., was shot and killed last year. "My heart breaks every single day that I don't have my son here."
There have been 334 murders in Chicago in 2022, while crime complaints are up 34% compared to 2021, according to city data. Last year was the deadliest year in Chicago in a quarter-century, while 31 children ages 0 to 17 have been killed there since the beginning of 2022, according to data from the Chicago Sun-Times.
Government officials provide blanket statements about gun violence and call for additional resources when shootings like MJ's occur, according to Gregg: "As many children are dying here, it's like no one listens, no one bats an eye, and that has to change."
Mychal Moultry Jr., also known as MJ, was shot and killed while getting his hair braided over Labor Day weekend 2021 in the South Side of Chicago. (Courtesy: Angela Gregg)
MJ was shot over Labor Day weekend in 2021 while he was getting his hair braided with his father.
Gregg was out getting snacks for her son when MJ was shot.
"I heard the gunshots, so I was actually in the parking lot of the apartment complex when the bullets started going off," Gregg said. "And my initial thought was, you know, just stay in my car, like, duck down, be quiet."
Shortly after hearing gunshots, Gregg received a call from the beautician who said that her son had been hurt.
Angela Gregg recounts the murder of her son, Mychal Moultry Jr. (Fox News Digital/ Lisa Bennatan)
"I hopped out of my car and I ran into the apartment, and that's when I saw everything. Two bullets struck him in the head, and he didn't survive," said Gregg.
"It was 27 gunshots that went off that day," Gregg said. "Twenty-seven."
"And two of those bullets struck my baby," she continued.
MJ was hit in the head by two stray bullets while in the chair getting his hair done. The beautician was hit by glass resulting from the shots. MJ's father was not hit.
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MJ was bubbly, brilliant and loved building sandcastles at the beach, his mother said.
"Everybody would want to have a son like MJ," his mother said.
Gregg said she felt numb after the incident.
Slain Chicago 4-year-old Mychal Moultry Jr. smiling. (Courtesy: Angela Gregg)
"I was in shock, my body just shut down," she told Fox News.
"When the doctors told me what they said, that there was nothing that they could do, I couldn't feel anything. I really couldn't believe it," Gregg said as she held back tears.
Since the shooting, Gregg has been fighting to find out who is responsible for his murder but says there has been no progress.
There are no suspects in custody, and the case remains open 10 months after his murder.
Gregg said she would like to see more special investigative units in Chicago to address shootings, such as her son's, and that there should be harsher punishments for people who kill children. She also called for increased scrutiny on Chicago's strict gun control laws.
"I know that the type of artillery that's being brought into the city is out of control," she said. "When you have young people who have AR-15 rifles… Why do they need those type of guns here?"
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"I have connected with so many mothers and so many fathers and so many grandparents that really just want to see change," Gregg told Fox News. "They don't want to see their children buried."
