Serabi Medina was enjoying ice cream with her dad Saturday night in front of their Portage Park apartment building when a gunshot rang out across the street.
The 9-year-old’s father immediately told her to take her scooter and go into the building, according to new details disclosed by Cook County prosecutors Tuesday.
As Serabi stood in the vestibule, Michael Goodman crossed the street and headed straight toward her, prosecutors said. The father shouted, but Goodman ignored him, allegedly raising his arm and shooting Serabi in her head.
The father tackled Goodman, causing the gun to go off again and striking Goodman in his eye, prosecutors said.
Serabi 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.
Neighbors in the 3500 block of North Long Avenue where the attack happened told the Sun-Times that Goodman had complained of kids being too loud in the past and had confronted Serabi’s father about the noise before the attack. But prosecutors offered no motive for the shooting during the brief court hearing.
Inside Goodman’s apartment, investigators found a shell casing and a bullet fired into a wall. There was additional ammunition and a box for a Canik 9 mm handgun with a receipt.
Prosecutors didn’t say when the gun was purchased, but said Goodman had a valid license to own the gun. The receipt was issued in his name and matched the serial number of the weapon recovered at the scene, they said.
Goodman has no other criminal background, prosecutors said.
An assistant public defender for Goodman said her client has lived in the city since 2009 and worked as a computer programer for about two decades. He previously lived in the suburbs and graduated from Glenbrook North High School, the attorney said.
Goodman said nothing in court, where he appeared wearing a pair of green shorts with a checkerboard pattern on the legs, a black T-shirt, sandals and yellow socks.
In denying bail, Judge Kelly McCarthy noted that witnesses to the shooting, including the girl’s father, had identified him as the shooter.
He was expected back in court Aug. 23.
