Lincoln Park shooting victim Dakotah Earley is growing more alert every day, family says
CHICAGO (CBS) -- There was more encouraging news Thursday night on the progress for Dakotah Earley, the victim of a robbery and shooting in Lincoln Park coming up on a week ago.
The family of Earley, 23, says he is becoming more alert every day. He was scheduled to have another surgery Thursday evening to remove a bullet from his jaw.
Earley was shot at close range in a robbery in Lincoln Park early last Friday morning.
Earley was walking on Wayne Avenue near Webster Avenue around 3 a.m. Friday when a robber came out of hiding and pointed a gun at him. After giving the offender his bag, Earley reached for the gun, and both fell to the ground as they struggled over the gun.
A second robber, also armed with a gun, rushed up; and as the victim was struggling with the first robber, one of them can be heard demanding the passcode to his phone. Then the first robber shot the victim and took his cell phone.
As the victim was lying on the ground, the robber asked him again for his passcode before shooting him a second time. After asking the victim for his passcode again, the victim tells him some numbers before screaming in pain, and the robber shoots him a third time while he's still lying in the street.
He was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition with two gunshot wounds to the back, and one gunshot wound to the head -- resulting in partial loss of his colon.
No one was in custody in the shooting as of late Thursday.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help with Earley's medical bills. It has raised nearly $100,000.