Woman Killed, Four Other People Wounded In Washington Heights Shooting
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A woman was killed on her birthday and four other people were wounded in a shooting in the Washington Heights neighborhood Thursday night.
From the time Chanda Foreman walked into work at Comcast in the morning until she died that night, she was celebrating life.
"I texted her that morning, and I wished her a happy birthday, and she texted me back, and said thank you, mom," said her mother, Cathy Geralds.
Geralds said, after leaving work, Foreman ate dinner with her family and friends downtown. At 9:45 p.m., she stopped by her great aunt's home in the 9500 block of South Loomis Street to pick up her 6-year-old daughter.
She was sitting in her car, and several people were gathered on her aunt's porch, when a gold Buick with four men inside drove by, and someone in the back seat opened fire, hitting Foreman, another woman in her car, and three people on the porch.
"This stuff is so senseless, and for her not to have anything to do with it, and being in your own car, minding your own business … nothing like no confrontations going on or anything. She never got out of the car," Geralds said.
Foreman was shot in the head. She died on the way to Holy Cross Hospital.
Four others were shot, including three of Foreman's relatives.
Two men were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition. Two women were taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park in fair-to-serious condition.
Police said it was not a random shooting. According to police, two men who were critically wounded are documented gang members.
"I understand you might have beef with somebody, but it's a whole porch full of people. It ain't like you go to marksman school, or anything. How do you just ride up and shoot everybody?" Geralds said.
A community activist said gang violence is getting out of hand.
"It's a gang war going on across the city of Chicago. For what reason, I don't know. They're not fighting over drugs, they're not fighting over territory, they're just shooting to be shooting," James Poole said. "We had a few pastors that actually tried to do a truce, but it didn't happen."
Friends and family came by Friday morning to console Geralds, who never imagined she'd have to bury her daughter and adopt her granddaughter.
"She keeps saying her mom is going to come and get her today," she said.
No one was in custody Friday morning. Area South detectives were investigating.