A group of armed robbers shot at a man near the Armitage Brown Line station this morning and then committed two more robberies in nearby Lakeview, Chicago police said. It all happened within about 20 minutes, starting at 5:30 a.m. (Update: Video of the Lincoln Park robbery is posted here.)
That’s when three robbers jumped out of a gray four-door car and confronted a 31-year-old man who was walking in the 2000 block of North Lincoln in Lincoln Park. One of the offenders displayed a gun and demanded the man’s property, but the victim ran toward Armitage Avenue instead, said Kellie Bartoli, a CPD spokesperson.
He told police he heard a loud noise as he bolted for safety. Cops found a shell casing at the scene, Bartoli said.
According to Bartoli, the group got back into the car, which was possibly a Toyota, and drove west in the alley behind Armitage.
The victim was walking toward a Divvy bike rack when he felt someone pull on him from behind, according to a source. Three Black males wearing ski masks, possibly juveniles, were seen on surveillance video committing the crime.
About 15 minutes later, between 5:45 and 5:50 a.m., two men approached a 23-year-old woman from behind as she walked in the 1100 block of West Wellington in Lakeview. They displayed guns and demanded her property, Bartoli said.
The victim complied, and the robbers, who wore ski masks, escaped in a black four-door sedan that was waiting for them nearby. It headed west on Wellington.
Finally, a dark-colored sedan carrying four people pulled over in the 1300 block of West Fletcher at 5:55 a.m. A man emerged from the back passenger-side door with a handgun and confronted a 27-year-old woman who was walking nearby.
She ran away when he demanded her property, Bartoli said.
CPD’s Town Hall (19th) Police District, which includes Lakeview, is experiencing a significant rise in robbery reports this year. Cases are up 59% compared to last year and 2020. They’re up 49% compared to 2019 and 14% compared to 2018, according to police department stats.
Robbery cases are also on the rise citywide, with the category up 21% compared to last year, 13% compared to 2020, and 8% compared to 2019, according to CPD’s latest statistics. However, hold-up reports are 15% lower than in 2018.