A man was shot in both legs this morning after a gunman opened fire on a homeless encampment in Rogers Park. It happened around 6:23 a.m. in the 7300 block of North Clark, on the west end of Touhy Park.
According to a Chicago police statement, the 53-year-old victim was sitting outside when the gunman shot him. He walked across the street to a firehouse for assistance and was taken to St. Francis Hospital in fair condition.
It’s not clear if the victim was the intended target or if he lives in the encampment.
According to witnesses, a gunman approached the tent city from within the park and started firing shots. They said he then ran back toward Paulina Street and continued north.
The suspect is a Black male who wore a baseball cap backward and a neon green face mask, according to an officer at the scene.
This morning’s victim is the 13th person shot in Rogers Park this year. That’s exactly the same number of shooting victims the neighborhood recorded at this point in 2021.