South Shore mass shooting leaves 2 dead, 3 critically wounded
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A $15,000 reward is being offered for the person or people who stormed into a South Shore neighborhood apartment and shot five adults inside Monday.
Two people were killed in the shooting, and three others were wounded and were being treated at the University of Chicago Medical Center Monday night.
The shooting took place in the 2900 block of East 78th Street, at Exchange Avenue.
Police are not sharing much information about what happened, but they call the incident "targeted." In a second-floor apartment in a courtyard building on the block, the door flew open and the shots started ringing out.
"I heard the helicopters, so I said, let me around here - find out what's going on," said neighbor Monay Mack.
Loud noises are not unfamiliar where the block where the shooting happened. But as the crime scene tape went up on this first sunny day and weeks, a shadow fell on the neighborhood Mack has called home for 53 years.
"This is not normal – I'm very surprised," Mack said. "Five people? Two fatals? I'm shocked."
The shock set in at 1:40 p.m., when the five victims were ambushed. Police sources telling CBS 2 that two people, described as teens wearing ski masks, one wearing camo, kicked in an apartment door and demanded money before opening fire.
"I've seen a decline. I thought it was getting better," Mack said. "But with recent gun shootings, we need to stop with the gun shootings. That's a big concern around here.
Police found two people dead inside. Three others were also shot and those who survived are all in critical condition at UChicago Medical Center.
That includes one other person who ran more than half a mile, wounded and bloodied, to the nearest McDonald's at 79th Street and Phillips Avenue for help. The McDonald's was shut down and roped off with crime tape following the shooting.
At a news conference, CPD Deputy Chief Sean Loughran said, "It does not appear to be a random act."
"I say targeted because I don't want the public to feel that this is just a random act of violence," Loughran said. "We're investigating any relationship between any victims and offenders at this time, but it is very, very preliminary."
Police late Monday were still unwilling to share the number of shooters — but as of Monday night, no one was in custody. CPD is also not sharing who the victims are, saying police need to contact families first.
Police scoured everything from pill bottles on the ground to security cameras on doorbells to learn more about the motive and people behind the quintuple shooting.
Meanwhile, the South Shore community that's rattled tonight.
"I wish I had the answers," Mack said. "Yeah, I wish I had the answers."
Police did not want to elaborate on a possible motive, but do want the public to know this does not appear to be random.
Anyone with information – however small it may be – is asked to contact Area Two detectives. Again, there's also a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.