3 killed, 5 wounded in mass shooting on Chicago's Southwest Side
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Eight people were shot, and three of them were killed, in the Southwest Side's Chicago Lawn neighborhood Monday afternoon.
Late Monday, it was unclear whom Chicago Police were looking for in connection with the mass shooting, or what led up it all. Police spent most of the evening at the scene gathering evidence and surveillance, and conducting interviews with anyone who may have been inside the house to witness the carnage.
It was a chilling juxtaposition as Christmas lights and decorations were overtaken by police lights and crime scene tape.
Police said at 2:10 p.m., police were called for a shooting in a house in the 3500 block of West 59th Street, between St. Louis and Central Park avenues in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood.
Responding officers found eight people—four men and four women, all between the ages of 20 and 35—had been shot. Three of the four men were dead, according to Chicago Police Chief of Patrol Jon Hein.
Police believe a social gathering was going on at the time of the shooting, Hein said. There were no reports that any children were present.
Of those who died, a man of an unspecified age was shot in the head, chest, right thigh, and right wrist and died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn; and a 26-year-old man and another man whose age was not specified were both shot multiple times throughout the body and were pronounced dead on the scene.
As to the survivors, a 25-year-old man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition with a gunshot wound to the left thigh. A 27-year-old woman was shot in the head and was taken to the same hospital in critical condition.
A 31-year-old man was shot in the abdomen and self-transported to UI Health University of Illinois Chicago Medical Center, where he was in good condition. A 21-year-old woman was shot once in the groin and self-transported to the same hospital.
A 24-year-old woman was shot twice in her shoulder, and once each in her right hip, right thigh, left hip, and left thigh. She was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition.
Shell casings were located in the basement of the house where the mass shooting happened, along with the victims.
"We have eight victims," Hein said. "We're going to solve this crime and find the individuals that are responsible for the heinous, terrible incident."
After the mass shooting, dozens of children were seen being released from a nearby school—and they had to walk through the crime scene to get home. A woman was also seen getting into a Chicago Police squad car with lots of blood running down her leg, but it did not appear that she had been shot.
One man who lives nearby said the house where the shooting happened is the site of a lot of parties and other activities.
"I got home from work, and I seen a lot of people at the house—it was like over 20 people—and shortly after, I started hearing shots—very loud shots—maybe, I don't know, I can't recall how many," said neighbor El Towers. "It seems like it was a party. There's always people at that house partying."
Towers said he first started noticing the residents of the house and their party within the last six or seven months. He said he heard people running out of the house screaming after the shots were fired Monday.
Street Pastor Donovan Price was at the scene Monday afternoon. He lamented the violence.
"Just sad. It almost makes you hopeless, but you have to keep hope in times like these. You have to keep yourself together," said Price. "You have to really want to reach out and kiss your loved ones, and love your loved ones, because when this many people are shot in a situation like this, it's extra hard during the holidays."
Price also contrasted the horrific violence Monday to Americans just having celebrated Thanksgiving just this past Thursday.
"Definitely a lot of confusion, a lot of sadness, a lot of tears, a lot of wondering who went to what hospital—some of the things that are the opposite of just a few days ago, when we were celebrating family, and celebrating with family, and everybody was so joyful, and moving into a joyful season," he said.
Hein said the investigation into the mass shooting remains too early for much further information to be available—including whether a suspect or a getaway car has been identified.
A motive for the mass shooting also remained unclear late Monday. But the tragedy now leaves a dark cloud over the community during the holiday season.
Chicago Police are asking for any information in hopes of locating the shooter or shooters.