CHICAGO, United States (AFP) – Chicago police announced Friday an arrest over a nine-year-old boy who was lured into an alley and shot dead, apparently in retaliation against his father who had gang ties.

Tyshawn Lee’s body was found riddled with bullets not far from his home on Chicago’s troubled South Side on November 2.

“Chicago Police detectives have made an arrest in the unspeakable murder of 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee,” police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said on Twitter just hours before dawn.

He said a press announcement would follow later.

Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said the boy was lured into the alley and killed because of his father’s gang involvement, according to the ChicagoTribune.

Chicago’s South Side has seen a drastic rise in homicides in recent months, but Lee’s death in particular has captivated the city, prickling the conscience of many in Chicago.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel vowed earlier this month to find and prosecute Lee’s killers.

“Whoever did this, there is a special place for them,” he said. “I hope they never see daylight, and I think anybody who knows who this is… you have a moral responsibility” to come forward.