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Grisly Shooting Spree From South Side To Evanston Leaves At Least 3 People Dead, Several Injured; Gunman Later Shot Dead By Police

January 10, 2021 / 1:17 PM CST / CBS Chicago

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EVANSTON, Ill. (CBS) -- A man went on a shooting spree through multiple South Side neighborhoods and then north all the way to Evanston on Saturday – leaving three people dead and several others injured – before he was shot dead by police.

A building security guard in Kenwood and a University of Chicago student were among those who were shot and killed. The man also returned to one of the crime scenes and shot at officers, police said. The suspect, identified as Jason Nightengale, 32, also took a woman hostage and shot and wounded her in Evanston, according to Chicago Police Supt. David Brown.

The first incident happened in the 5000 block of South East End Avenue in the East Hyde Park-Kenwood neighborhood during the 1 p.m. hour, Brown said. He said Nightengale entered a garage and shot a 30-year-old man dead in his car, and the University of Chicago confirmed that the victim was a student there.

The university Sunday identified the man as Yiran Fan, a PhD student in a joint program of the Booth School of Business and the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics. Fan came from China to study in the United States. Fan was in the fourth year of his program and hoped to propose his dissertation later this year.

The university said the building where the shooting happened in the Regents Park apartment building at 5035 S. East End Ave.

"This is deeply painful news for the University community and our South Side neighborhood. The University will provide support for members of our community affected by this incident," the university said.

Afterward, Brown said, Nightengale went to another building on the next block north – identified as The Barclay condominium complex at 4940 S. East End Ave. Nightengale entered the vestibule of the building, took out a gun, and began firing shots – striking two women.

One of the women, who was working as a security guard at the desk for the building, was killed in the shooting, Brown said. The other, a 77-year-old woman who was retrieving her mail, was shot in the head and was left in critical condition, Brown said.

CBS 2's Steven Graves spoke to a resident who remembers the security guard who was shot and killed as a loving mom.

"I guess the person wanted to use the phone, and I guess she was explaining to him he couldn't use the phone, and he proceeded to walk into the building – I think she told him, like, he had to leave the building – and then he shot her," the resident said.

At 2:45 p.m., Nightengale went into a building also in the 5000 block of South East End Avenue and took the elevator to the 19th floor, Brown said. A relative of Nightengale's had apparently once lived in the building.

Nightengale found a man he knew on the 19th floor and pulled a gun on him, and pushed the man into his own apartment, Brown said. He made the man give up the keys to his vehicle and then returned downstairs took off in the vehicle – a red Toyota, Brown said. That man was not shot or injured.

At 3 p.m., Nightengale made his way several miles to the south and west to the 9300 block of South Halsted Street in the Brainerd neighborhood, Brown said. He announced a robbery in a store on the block and fired shots, striking a 20-year-old man in the head, Brown said. That man was pronounced dead at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

Nightengale also shot an 81-year-old woman in the back and neck in the same store, Brown said. She was left in critical condition, Brown said.

At 4 p.m., Nightengale found his way 1.25 miles south to the 10300 block of South Halsted Street in the Fernwood neighborhood, where a 15-year-old girl was in the back seat of a car being driven by her mother, Brown said.

The window shattered and the girl realized she had been shot, Brown said. She was left in critical condition.

Nightengale then returned to the store where he had shot and killed the man and wounded the 81-year-old woman in the 9300 block of South Halsted Street, where police had set up a crime scene and were investigating, Brown said. He fired at the officers, but none were struck.

By 4:45 p.m., Nightengale had made his way some 25 miles north to Howard Street and Western Avenue on the cusp of the West Rogers Park neighborhood and north suburban Evanston.

He walked into a CVS store at 101 Asbury Ave. – the Evanston extension of Western Avenue – and announced a robbery, Brown said. Evanston police Chief Demitrous Cook said Nightengale also "accosted" a woman in the store. Evanston police said while inside the store Nightengale fired one shot from his gun, but did not strike anyone and did not take anything.

Afterward, Nightengale ran across the street to the IHOP at 100 Asbury Ave. and took a different woman hostage, Cook said. He then shot that woman, who police believe was a customer, in the neck and left her in critical condition, Cook said.

Nightengale then ran off east on Howard Street, where he took another hostage, who does not appear to have been injured.

Officers caught up to him and tried to apprehend him, but he took off on foot fleeing south on Howard to the parking lot of a Dollar General at 2341 W. Howard St. on the Chicago side of the street, where there was an exchange of gunfire. It is unclear who fired first, Evanston police said.

Evanston police officers shot and killed Nightengale, Brown and Cook said.

Evanston police tweeted a photo of a gun they said was recovered from Nightengale.

Offender's firearm was recovered on scene. pic.twitter.com/Yx79U8ZGIU
— Evanston, IL Police (@EvanstonPD) January 10, 2021

Cook said late Saturday there was no further threat to the community.

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