A 17-year-old boy is in critical condition after suffering a gunshot to the back of his head in Uptown Saturday afternoon.
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| Children march for an end to violence in Uptown on Saturday morning. | James Cappleman |
The boy was near Broncho Billy Park in the 4400 block of North Magnolia when at least nine shots were fired around 4:30 p.m. Witnesses reported seeing possible suspects—including a known gang member who was shot just three months ago—running into a nearby CHA housing complex, police said.
Two men in a gray Dodge Avenger dropped the victim off at Thorek Hospital and then fled the area, police said.
The victim was transferred to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center due to the extent of his injuries.
A witness said the boy was “talking but bleeding” when he arrived at Thorek. His Facebook page indicates that he attended a local high school as recently as last year.
Chicago police detained a person of interest about 90 minutes after the shooting. That individual was taken in for questioning.
Saturday’s shooting took place about a block from where schoolchildren marched for peace just 7 hours earlier, according to a Tweet from local Alderman James Cappleman.
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Saturday’s victim is the fourth person to be shot in Uptown since April 13.
