In less than two hours early Sunday, a man was shot to death in the South Loop, another man was shot at a Loop hotel, and shots were fired outside a River North nightclub, according to Chicago police.
The cases are not believed to be related, but the burst of violence on a 19-degree night may not bode well for the year ahead.
Most recently, a passerby found a 44-year-old man lying dead on 24th Street, just west of Michigan Avenue, shortly after 5 a.m.
Police at the scene said the man, who reportedly lives in the area, was found in the street amidst broken glass, as if he were about to enter a car, but there was no car present. Officers found shell casings near the man’s body.
The victim suffered two gunshot wounds to his back and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said, adding that the “circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.”
Around 4:30 a.m., police responded to calls of a person shot at the Comfort Suites, 320 North Michigan, in the Loop.
A 37-year-old man told police he was outside when he heard gunfire and realized he had been shot in his left hand. EMS took him to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition, police said.
Some witnesses said the shots came from a white SUV that drove past the hotel. While at least one other said the man might have been shot inside the hotel. Officers did confirm that the hotel’s front window was broken, apparently from a bullet.
Area Three detectives are investigating.
Earlier, around 3:15 a.m., shots were fired outside LiqrBox, a bar at 873 North Orleans in River North. No one was injured, but police found several shell casings at the scene.
Witnesses said the gunman fled in a silver Range Rover.
On September 18, 2021, a 33-year-old man was shot and killed as he stood next to his car outside LiqrBox. Police have not announced any charges in that case.
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