Chicago police said one man is dead and another is critically injured following a shooting in Rogers Park early Saturday. The neighborhood’s murder and shooting totals are at their fastest pace since at least 2016, according to city records.
This morning’s victims were standing with a group of people in a parking lot on the southwest corner of Clark and Touhy when someone in the crowd fired shots around 1:26 a.m., according to a Chicago police statement.
A 37-year-old man who was taken to St. Francis Hospital in a private car died from gunshot wounds to his chest. A 36-year-old man, also at St. Francis, is in critical condition with gunshot wounds to his abdomen and back, police said.
Police found about ten shell casings in the parking lot, which services Safari Lounge, 7124 North Clark, and a handful of casings on the opposite side of the street, too. Bullet holes dotted the windows of nearby businesses. CPD did not release any suspect descriptions.
So far this year, 24 people have been shot in Rogers Park, and five people have been murdered.
On July 31, a 19-year-old man was shot and killed while driving in the 7200 block of North Clark. Coincidentally, his car crashed into a fence directly under the Safari Lounge’s sign.
Rogers Park shooting totals as of September 24 annually:
2016 – 20
2017 – 13
2018 – 17
2019 – 9
2020 – 23
2021 – 17
2022 – 24
Rogers Park murder totals as of September 24 annually:
2016 – 3
2017 – 3
2018 – 2
2019 – 2
2020 – 4
2021 – 2
2022 – 5
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