Humboldt Park attack leaves boy, 14, on life support

A 14-year-old boy was bludgeoned in the head Tuesday night while walking home from studying with his girlfriend in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

 He is on life support early Wednesday at Children’s Memorial Hospital.

 It happened about 9:15 p.m. at 2930 W. Bloomingdale Ave., according to Shakespeare District police Capt. Marc Buslik.

 The boy and the 14-year-old girl had been at his home doing their homework prior to the incident. After studying, he walked her to her home located a few blocks away. They walked her dog for a while before he left, but they two stayed on the phone until she heard “some kind of commotion and then nothing,” according to Buslik.

 She became worried and went out to look for him and discovered him lying on the ground unconscious, bleeding from the head, said Buslik. She called 911, and authorities initially thought he had been shot. Paramedics rushed him to Children’s Memorial Hospital where he is on life support early Wednesday, the captain said.
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 Doctors said the boy has a “silver dollar sized” hole in his head from being hit with either a bat or a sledgehammer, the captain said.

The boy attends Phoenix Military Academy and is not involved with gangs. Police have no idea why he was targeted, and nothing was taken from him, Buslik said.

No weapon was found and nothing was taken from the child.

“He is a straight kid,” said Buslik of the victim. “It appears he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.It’s a real shame.”

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