Community donates thousands to help mother, son attacked by group in South Deering

Donations have poured in to help a South Deering family relocate to a new home after the mother and her 9-year-old son were attacked on the Far South Side Monday afternoon.

Chicago police on Monday said a group of attackers confronted and hit 33-year-old Corshawnda Hatter and her son multiple times as they were walking in the 10600 block of South Bensley Avenue, near Orville Bright Elementary School. The attack sent the two to the hospital in serious condition.

After the attack, Hatter set up an online fundraiser for relocation expenses. As of Thursday afternoon, the family has raised more than $19,000 on GoFundMe.

“As a mother, my number one responsibility is to protect my babies,” Hatter wrote in the GoFundMe description. “After everything that happened, and how unsafe the environment around us has become, I know in my heart that we have to leave. Staying here is not an option anymore. My kids deserve peace, healing, and a fresh start somewhere safe.”

A police spokesperson said Thursday afternoon there are no updates available on its investigation into the attack, which remains ongoing.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday on social media he was “deeply disturbed” by the videos of the attack that circulated widely online.

The mayor said his office has been working with CPS, the Chicago Housing Authority and Chicago police to respond to the incident and support the family. He said the police will deploy “additional resources” to the area, and community groups will provide safe passage for students and families at the elementary school.

“That type of behavior is unacceptable in our city and we must not normalize that type of senseless violence,” Johnson said. “Our students and families should always feel safe on their way to and from school and we must make the critical investments necessary to make that a reality in every part of our city.”

A CHA spokesperson declined to comment on the relocation due to privacy reasons. The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a statement to the Sun-Times, a spokesperson said Chicago Public Schools “prioritizes the safety and well being of our students, staff, and families, and we are committed to building a physically and emotionally safe teaching and learning environment in every school.”