Surveillance video shows shooting that wounded seven men in South Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Surveillance video released Monday showed the moment seven people were shot and wounded outside a strip mall in the South Chicago community the day before.
As CBS 2's Tim McNicholas reported, this came as police investigators spent the day at 79th Street and Exchange Avenue looking for clues – handing out flyers and interviewing people in the area.
The shooting happened at 3:40 p.m. in the strip mall, which includes a liquor store and a Little Caesars pizza, among other businesses.
Video shows a light-colored pull up to a group standing outside the strip mall. Someone started shooting at the group immediately afterward – we paused the video before the shots began.
After the first shots, the group tried to take cover. Most of them fell to the ground.
Police scanner traffic indicated that 20 rounds were heard being fired off in the parking lot at 7916 S. Exchange Ave.
The victims ranged in age from their late 20s to their 50s, officials said.
As of Monday morning, two people remain in critical condition.
Police said a 63-year-old man, a 62-year-old man, a 59-year-old man, and a 36-year-old man were each shot in the leg and were reported in good condition. The oldest man was taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County, the 62- and 59-year-old men were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, and the 36-year-old man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
A 51-year-old man was shot in the hip and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition.
A 34-year-old man was shot in the chest and a 31-year-old man was shot in the abdomen. Both were taken to the U of C Medical Center in critical condition.
Derek Swift told CBS 2's Sabrina Franza on Sunday night his brother was one of the victims and was in surgery.
"I'm not going to be fully out of it until I know – until I literally hear my brother's voice, and he tells me himself that he's OK," Swift said.
On Monday, windows were boarded and damage was visible at the Little Caesars, which remained closed.
People working at other businesses nearby told us they did not want to describe what they saw or heard on camera because of fear of retaliation.
At the scene on Monday, police handed out flyers to employees and customers alike. They are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for tips leading to gun trafficking charges or convictions, and rewards even higher for tips leading to other charges.
The CPD tip line can be reached at (833) 408-0069 .
Meanwhile, several antiviolence signs are posted at the strip mall. One calls for a ceasefire and says to "put the guns down," while another reads, "we call police, no guns allowed."
Those signs were all posted long before the shooting, so fears of violence are nothing new in the area.
Now, the Sunday shooting is dragging down the sense of safety for the businesses even more