A 25-year-old man is in good condition, and a suspect is in custody after an afternoon shooting in North Center on Tuesday afternoon, police said. The incident caps off a series of recent “shots fired” incidents in the normally quiet neighborhood and nearby Ravenswood.
Police said in a media statement that the victim was driving a car northbound on the 4200 block of North Western when someone fired shots at him from another car around 1:56 p.m. One round struck the victim in his left upper arm. He was taken to Swedish Covenant Hospital for treatment, according to police.
However, Ald. Matt Martin (47) told his constituents on Facebook that the shooting victim is a 24-year-old female FedEx driver.
A preliminary police report reviewed by CWBChicago lists the victim as a 25-year-old man. Asked about the discrepancies in age, gender, and vehicle, a CPD spokesperson said they were not aware of any changes to the department’s information.
Witnesses told police the shots came from a gray Porsche SUV, and cops found a similar car in the area shortly after the shooting. The car sped away from officers and then crashed on the 2300 block of West Giddings in Lincoln Square. Police arrested the driver on the 4700 block of North Lincoln after a short foot chase. A passenger ran away from the scene.
Investigators found two guns and narcotics inside the Porsche, according to police and a source.
The suspect who got away was described as a man of unknown race with curly black hair. Officers said he was wearing a black t-shirt and khaki pants when he ran into an alley near the crash site.
Police have responded to bonafide calls of shots fired in the area over the past week. In one case, witnesses said a Porsche sped from the shooting scene:
• At 2:45 a.m. Tuesday, August 17, police found shell casings in a crosswalk at Hermitage and Berteau after someone in a car fired shots at another driver. No injuries were reported.
• Shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday, August 18, police found more than 20 shell casings in the street on the 1100 block of West Wilson in Uptown. Officers saw a car speeding from the area similar to one that was reportedly seen during the shooting one night earlier.
• Last Thursday, several witnesses reported hearing shots fired near the 2400 block of West Cuyler around 9:15 p.m. Many of them said they saw a Porsche speeding from the area.
Three people have been shot in North Center so far this year. That compares to two shootings for all of 2020 and two shootings for all of 2019, according to city records.
Area Three detectives are investigating today’s shooting. CWBChicago will post an update if prosecutors approve charges.
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