The three-flat block where 14 people were shot Monday night, including three children, is so dangerous that drivers have been seen putting their cars in reverse down the one-way street after being waved away at gunpoint.
“A group of young kids on the east end of the block stand in the street with guns drawn and refuse to let you pass,” said someone familiar with the 2700 block of West Flournoy Street in East Garfield Park.
“This is a terrible block.” “It’s just horrible,” said the person, who did not want to be identified. The person went on to say that gunfire is a daily occurrence. When the cops arrive, they are yelled at and spit on.
The shooting happened around 9 p.m., as people were celebrating Halloween and others gathered for a vigil and balloon release, according to Chicago Police Supt. David Brown, who spoke at a news conference shortly after the shooting.
Brown stated that the children injured in the shooting were 3, 11, and 13 years old. They were all in critical condition. According to police, the other victims ranged in age from 31 to 56.
“Three seconds,” Brown said outside Stroger Hospital, where many of the injured were taken. “The car is pulling out after driving by and randomly shooting into the crowd.”
“We have no motive,” he said, adding that officers believe two shooters were involved.
Two blocks south of the Eisenhower Expressway, the shooting occurred. The one-way street is lined with newer brick and stone three-flats. On the block, there is a church and an abandoned basketball court.
According to Sun-Times data, the block is in one of the city’s most violent police beats, one of 55 that have been targeted with extra resources by police in the last year.
Despite the neighborhood’s long history of gun violence, Monday night’s shooting “is just mind-boggling,” according to Ald. Jason Ervin (28th).
He explained that the crowd had gathered to honor a woman who died recently of natural causes. According to Ervin, no one in the crowd was a member of a street gang.
“A lot of these people are related,” he said. “They were just family members remembering a loved one.” It was a lady who had died.
“It’s just a heinous act,” the alderman added. “That cannot go unanswered, not only as a community leader, but as a man and as a Black man.”
Ervin has asked religious leaders to meet at the site at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
Ervin, the chairman of the City Council’s Black Caucus, also stated that a meeting of “Black leadership” will be held on Saturday at Manley Career Academy High School, 2935 W. Polk. He expressed hope that the meeting will result in a “unified cohesive plan of action for our community.”
“If these kinds of incidents aren’t a wake-up call to Black people in Chicago,” Ervin said, his voice rising in anger. “Three children were shot.” Several females. “I was not involved in any illegal activity; I was simply mourning and celebrating the life of a loved one.”
“If people are unable to do so, we are in worse shape [than we thought].” “We have to dig deep and channel this energy into something constructive,” the alderman added. “In order to have this conversation, we must all come together.” It might not be the most pleasant discussion. But it’s a necessary one.”
The area where the shooting occurred already receives additional resources, such as increased police presence and assistance with jobs, housing, and programming, as part of initiatives aimed at reducing crime in some of the city’s most violent neighborhoods.
Despite the fact that the city had 580 murders and over 3,000 shooting victims through October, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Brown have frequently touted declining numbers in these targeted communities.
According to the most recent publicly available city data, East Garfield Park had 14 homicides and 80 nonfatal shootings as of Oct. 28. This compares to 29 homicides and 124 nonfatal shootings at this time last year.
The shooting on Monday night was Chicago’s deadliest mass shooting since 15 people were shot, two fatally, in Greater Grand Crossing in March 2021. In July 2020, fifteen people were shot outside a funeral home in Gresham.
When asked how many people had been shot, Brown advised reporters to “hold off on hyperbole right now.”
“Right now, people are being treated, and some may be fighting for their lives,” he explained. “Let’s deal with this as soon as possible.” We’re looking for the perpetrator.”
According to police, all of the victims were taken to hospitals with injuries ranging from critical to non-life threatening. According to police, a 37-year-old man and a 48-year-old man were in critical condition.
According to police, a woman was hit by a car while fleeing the shooting. She was in fair shape, with scrapes all over her body. There was no one in custody.
Brown stated that the shooting was captured on police surveillance video, which is being reviewed by investigators. Detectives were also waiting for victims to finish their treatment before interviewing them.
“We don’t know enough about this yet, whether it was a gang conflict or a personal conflict,” Brown said several hours after the shooting.
“Of course, we’re deploying additional police resources in the area to ensure that we can prevent any retaliation if that’s the case.”
For information leading to charges or conviction, a reward of up to $15,000 is being offered. Anyone with information was encouraged to send it to cpdtip.com.
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