Gang-related conflict is to blame for two deadly shootings near Western and Cermak, alderman says
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A gang-related conflict is boiling over in the city's Lower West Side community area, according to one Chicago alderman.
On Monday afternoon, three people were killed in two separate shootings in the area – which each happened within minutes of each other. Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) says nothing is being done despite multiple warnings.
As of Tuesday evening, no one was in custody in either of the deadly shootings. Police still are not connecting the two shootings, but Ald. Sigcho-Lopez is.
The first shooting happened in the 2200 block of South Bell Avenue in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood at 12:58 p.m. Monday. A 34-year-old man was fond around the corner with multiple gunshot wounds to his body, and he was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Hospital.
Not even an hour later, there was another shooting in in the 2400 block of West 21st Street near Western Avenue in Little Village – only a few blocks from the first scene.
A 32-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman were killed while driving on 21st Street at 1:43 p.m. Monday. Witnesses told CBS 2 they heard about eight shots.
"There was a lot of commotion," said witness Paul Martinez.
Their car came to a stop after hitting another parked car. Both the man and woman were pronounced dead at the scene.
An officer responding to the scene sustained an injury to his left leg while trying to "maintain control of the scene," police said. Three people were arrested as a result of the injury.
All three deaths could have been prevented and should have been, according to Ald. Sigcho-Lopez.
"The alarm of our community is that we could have prevented this," Sigcho-Lopez said.
He told us the two deadly shootings are believed to be connected – something, again, that Chicago Police aren't saying publicly yet. Sigcho-Lopez also said the shootings connected to escalating gang violence in the area.
The alderman said the violence is something his office has been warning police and city leaders about. He said when his office hears concerns from the community, they share that information – and they did this most recent time too.
"We just cannot normalize – neither or accept nor tolerate - such violence in our communities," Sigcho-Lopez said. "We are demanding the Chicago Police Department; that the mayor of the city of Chicago, provide a plan and a change of paths."
Molina is told the police officer injured in the second shooting was doing OK on Tuesday.
Again, we have been checking in with Chicago Police on these incidents since Monday. As of Tuesday, there were still no charges – and no one was in custody in connection to either deadly shooting.