This week alone, intersection of 79th and Lafayette has seen deadly hit-and-run, shooting
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Police on Wednesday were investigating after a 15-year-old was shot at a gas station near the Dan Ryan Expressway – the very same place where we reported on a deadly hit-and-run on Monday.
As CBS 2's Shardaa Gray reported, the deadly hit-and-run and shooting happened almost within 24 hours of each other at the same intersection of 79th Street and Lafayette Avenue in West Chatham.
The incidents are unrelated, but community leaders and the alderman are calling for change.
"It's an active area. It's sometimes not positively an active area," said Street Pastor Donovan Price. "As a result, there are things often - quite often."
Pastor Price has been to intersection of 79th and Lafayette more often than he'd like to - responding to shootings at all hours of the day.
He says surrounding elements can play a factor.
"You have a fast-food restaurant here. 95th is the same way. You have a McDonald's. You have a major L station – a major CTA hub," Price said, "and you're going to kind of find the same things happening at these busy, busy intersections."
Police say a 15-year-old boy was at a gas station at the intersection Tuesday night when he was shot. He was hit in the lower back and taken to the University of Chicago's Comer Children's hospital in serious condition.
On Monday night, at that same intersection, police said a man was crossing the street at a crosswalk when a white 2013 Dodge Durango hit him. The victim died at the scene.
We did some digging, and at that specific intersection last year, there were 14 assaults, 38 batteries and three homicides.
Ald. David Moore (17th) says there is an issue with people peddling cigarettes. He would like to stop shootings before they happen.
"It's about what's a priority for the police. Someone is there selling loose squares - we're trying to clean this up," Moore said. "Are they coming right away, or are they dealing with the priority-one stuff? And then when there's a shooting, then that becomes a priority-one."
Ald. Moore said when it comes to shootings like the one Tuesday night, he has to figure out where the problem started.
"Are they harboring them, or do they happen to just be running on their property when they get shot?" he said.
The 15-year-old remained hospitalized late Wednesday. There have been no arrests in either case.
