West Loop Chicago seniors say regular gunfire near their building has them terrified
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Residents of senior housing in the West Loop say they are under siege.
Back in the summer, a social media video showed a man driving right through their neighborhood while pointing a large gun out the window of the car near the senior housing building. Since then, gunshots have been heard often.
This happened back in the summer near Academy Square Apartments—an affordable apartment and townhouse development that includes a seven-story senior residence, located on a piece of land bounded by Loomis Street, Jackson Boulevard, Throop Street, and Van Buren Street, just east of Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and south of the Chicago Police Education and Training Academy.
In a video posted to Snapchat, a man is seen waving a Draco semiautomatic pistol as he is driven around the West loop. At one point, two weapons are seen.
The man says he is looking for another man who lives in the affordable townhouse and apartment section of Academy Square Apartments.
The man with the weapon names the person, who apparently dissed him in a rap video. He says he is looking for revenge.
"When I saw that video, tears started rolling down my eyes," said Debra Murphy, the president of the organization Academy Square Pressing for Greatness Inc.
The senior also calls Academy Square Apartments home.
Murphy said since this video was posted in August, she has heard gunfire ring out several times over the past two months.
"I remember one night, like clear as day, I'm sitting in my living room watching TV and I heard, 'Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!'" Murphy said. "I got on the floor and crawled to the closet."
Murphy emphasized that when guns are being fired, everyone around is in danger.
"Bullets fly. That affects everyone," she said. "You can't time, you can't put a direction on a bullet. It's going to go anywhere, and that affects everyone here—people over here too. This whole community should be fighting for this."
Murphy walked CBS News Chicago to a courtyard between two buildings at Academy Square that she will not be visiting anymore. She said she will no longer sit outside on a nice day—because she fears for her safety because of random gunfire.
"When I don't hear sirens, that means no one got hurt," Murphy said.
Murphy joined forces with the Rev. Robin Hood to form an antiviolence symposium, which was to be held Thursday night at the Academy Square seniors' building to address residents' concerns.
"They're getting in front of it before something actually happens," said the Rev. Hood.
Antiviolence experts were to speak. Hood said they are calling on elected officials for help, and want police to increase patrols even more.
"They're hunting," Hood said. "When you see people in a car with guns, they're hunting—looking for either somebody or some victim."
<h2>Residents turn out at community meeting, express concerns about gunfire</h2>
On Thursday night, fired up and fearful Academy Square neighbors gathered for a community meeting to speak to police and city leaders about the gunfire.
They were alarmed by the video that was posted in August, where the long gun was being pointed out the window in a hunt for someone in who lived in the development.
"When I saw the video, I clearly saw my car parked, the house, and everything. It was clear," said concerned resident Stephanie Hines, "and it was, like, terrifying—because of the area, the neighborhood. I'm not used to that."
The community refuses to accept such conduct.
"So this is something new," said Sandra Jamerson, "and we want to be able to squash that now while we can—get a grip on things, and have officials to help us and support us."
Just as much of a concern is the frequent gunfire that has been heard since.
At the community meeting Thursday night, the concerned neighbors demanded that Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) and the Chicago Police Near West (12th) District—who sent representatives to the meeting—do something to ensure that no one will fall prey to the clear threat made in the video or to the ongoing gunfire.
"As you all know, in another week, it'll be Halloween—and what happens on Halloween?" said Rev. Hood. "People put on masks, they disguise themselves—and that is the perfect time for violence to happen."
The residents also expressed concern that the people in the video did not care abut the proximity to the Chicago Police training academy right across the street from the seniors' building.
Sources from the building say four additional security officers were added at the end of August through the month of September after the social media post showing the man with the gun. Police were also asked to increase patrols.