A man was carjacked in the Loop early Saturday. Police also responded to a call of an armed carjacking attempt in River North and detectives are investigating the possibility that an overnight shooting in River North started as a robbery or carjacking attempt.
Around midnight, a 54-year-old man was sitting in his 2010 Kia on the southeast corner of State and Randolph when three hijackers opened his car door, according to a CPD report. They forced the man out of the car and drove away with it. Police said the victim was not injured.
Later, around 1:20 a.m., police responded to a call of a carjacking attempt inside a parking garage on the 100 block of West Kinzie. A woman said three men wearing ski masks put a gun to her husband’s head and tried to take the couple’s car. But the would-be hijackers fled the scene and escaped in a white SUV without getting the vehicle.
Later, a 21-year-old woman was sitting in the passenger seat of a black Dodge Challenger that was parked on the 100 block of West Illinois around 4:30 a.m., according to a CPD statement. A gunman approached the driver’s window and displayed a gun, prompting her driver to pull a U-turn and speed away, police said.
As the car was leaving, the gunman fired shots, striking the woman in both legs. The driver took her to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where the woman was admitted in serious condition. He told police that he believed the gunman was trying to rob or carjack him.
CPD recorded 698 carjackings this year through June 10, slightly more than the 666 cases reported during the period last year. The comparative periods saw 400 cases in 2020 and 215 in 2019.
From May 1 through June 10, there were 148 carjackings citywide, roughly the same as the 143 cases reported during the period last year. In 2020, there were 138 cases during the period and only 60 in 2019.
