CenterHigh
WGN-TV (Nexstar, Chicago)News report · Oct 7, 12:10 AM
4-year-old boy critically injured in Far South Side shooting
A 4-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot in the head Tuesday afternoon on the Far South Side.
← Today's headlines
4 sources checked · 2 source groups included · 1h ago
Still Watching
4-year-old boy critically injured in Far South Side shooting
Chicago Sun-Times and WLS / ABC7 Chicago describe the same event in different terms.
1 Left3 Center0 Right
STILL WATCHING
As of October 7, 2026 at 1:36 AM, this is how Optics News reads the wording differences in this story.
What happened A 4-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot in the head Tuesday afternoon on the Far South Side.
The headline split The left frames it as "4-year-old boy critically wounded in South Deering shooting". The center frames it as "4-year-old boy in critical condition after being found shot in the head at Far South Side...".
Match confidence Medium confidence. 4 sources across 2 bias buckets. Useful framing signal — check the source list before sharing.
Same-event confidenceMedium
4 sources across 2 bias buckets agree on the event.
Framing confidenceModerate
66/99 — meaningful wording shift across the spectrum.
WHAT EACH SIDE EMPHASIZED
Left / center-left4-year-old boy critically wounded in South Deering shooting
Chicago Sun-Times · Center-left · News report
Center4-year-old boy critically injured in Far South Side shooting
WGN-TV (Nexstar, Chicago) · Center · News report
Right / center-rightNo matching source in this bucket yet.
Optics keeps watching for pickup.
SEE THE HEADLINES
Open source
CenterHigh
WCVB Boston (Hearst)News report · Oct 7, 1:36 AM
Police: 1 injured in Cambridge shooting, investigation underway
Police are investigating after one person was injured in a shooting in Cambridge Tuesday afternoon.
Center-leftMostly Factual
Chicago Sun-TimesNews report · Oct 7, 12:00 AM
4-year-old boy critically wounded in South Deering shooting
A 4-year-old boy is in critical condition after he was shot in his head in South Deering Tuesday night, according to Chicago police. Officers responded to a residence in the 2200 block of E...
CenterHigh
WLS / ABC7 ChicagoNews report · Oct 6, 11:40 PM
4-year-old boy in critical condition after being found shot in the head at Far South Side home: CPD
A 4-year-old boy is in critical condition after he was found with a gunshot wound to his head at a Far South Side home on Tuesday afternoon, Chicago police said.
Details66/99 Wording Gap · Medium confidence · 4 sources
66/99 Wording GapMedium confidence4 sources · 2 bias bucketsLive match · 4 sources · 2 buckets · comparable news formatFormats: News report
SOURCE MAP CHANGES
Oct 6, 11:40 PM: WLS / ABC7 Chicago joined the source map.
Oct 7, 12:00 AM: Chicago Sun-Times joined the source map.
Oct 7, 12:10 AM: WGN-TV (Nexstar, Chicago) joined the source map.
Oct 7, 1:36 AM: WCVB Boston (Hearst) joined the source map.
Now: Wording Gap is 66/99 and story health is live match · 4 sources · 2 buckets · comparable news format.