Two men were shot during a gang-related incident in Uptown overnight. Both victims were reported in good condition at Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
The victims, both shot once in one leg, told police that they were near the corner of Leland and Racine around 3AM Friday when shots rang out. Both sought help at a nearby 7-Eleven store.
Police who searched the area saw four men running through yards and alleys near the Aragon Ballroom. Three were eventually taken into custody and one gun was recovered near the Hickory Playlot, 4832 N. Winthrop. The fourth man, a 22-year-old member of a Gangster Disciples street gang faction, escaped.
Investigators were working this morning to see if the men and the weapon were involved in the shooting.
Today’s victims are 18th and 19th persons to be shot in Uptown this year. By comparison, Uptown’s 19th shooting last year came on July 31.
Despite the increase in shootings, fewer people have been killed by gunfire in Uptown this year. The neighborhood has recorded three homicides this year, one of which was ruled self-defense. There were eight homicides at this point last year.
