9-Year-Old Girl Shot by Neighbor Moments After Buying Ice Cream for Her Dad — Killer Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison

A simple act of love from a little girl became the final heartbreaking memory her father would ever have of her. Nine-year-old Sarabi Medina had just returned from an ice cream truck with two treats, one for herself and one for her dad. “Here Daddy, I got you an ice cream,” she reportedly told him. But within minutes, a neighbor walked toward the family with a gun and shot the child in the head. More than three years later, the man responsible has finally been sentenced to decades behind bars.

The tragedy unfolded on the evening of August 5, 2023, outside Sarabi’s family home in Chicago’s Portage Park neighborhood. Her father, Michael Medina, was talking with friends near a parked vehicle when one of them gave the little girl money to buy ice cream. After returning with the treats, she was told to take her scooter inside. At that moment, a gunshot rang out from across the street. According to prosecutors, Michael Goodman, who lived in a nearby apartment building, emerged carrying a firearm and began approaching the child.

Sarabi’s father immediately shouted at Goodman, demanding to know what he was doing. But prosecutors said the man continued toward the girl, ignored the warnings and followed her toward the entrance of her apartment building. He then raised his handgun and fired, striking Sarabi in the head. Her father rushed forward and tackled the shooter, causing the weapon to discharge again. That second shot struck Goodman in the eye. Sarabi was rushed to the hospital, but doctors could not save her. She was just nine years old.

The investigation revealed that the shooting was not the result of an established dispute between the families. Prosecutors said the child and her father had no known connection to Goodman. Some neighbors later told reporters that Goodman had previously complained about children making noise, but prosecutors did not establish that as the motive for the attack. Investigators recovered a 9mm handgun at the scene, and forensic testing reportedly found gunshot residue on Goodman’s hands. He was charged with first-degree murder and remained in custody as the case moved through the court system.

During the proceedings, Goodman reportedly claimed that he had been taking ketamine purchased online and experienced a drug-induced episode. In a statement read by his attorney, he said he had taken several doses and could not remember shooting Sarabi. He also described struggling with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. But the explanation did little to ease the family’s grief. Sarabi’s father said he had been present and had watched Goodman approach his daughter despite the desperate attempts to stop him.

On November 5, 2026, Goodman, now 46, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder. The family agreed to a negotiated plea deal because they wanted to avoid the emotional pain of reliving the shooting during a trial. With credit for approximately three years already served, he is expected to spend the next 37 years behind bars without the possibility of parole. Sarabi would have celebrated her 13th birthday on December 1. Instead, her family is left with memories of a little girl who had gone out to buy ice cream and returned with one last treat for her father — a small gesture of affection that became an unforgettable final moment.

Source: Law&Crime