Chicago — Five people were targeted in three separate armed robberies overnight, according to Chicago police, with incidents reported in Uptown, Lincoln Park, and Noble Square. While the crimes have similar elements, it is unclear if the same group of men is responsible for them.
In Uptown, a 28-year-old man told police he was walking in the 4500 block of North Hazel when three men approached him around 1 a.m.
They displayed a gun and demanded his property, but the victim tried to slap the gun away, and one of the offenders hit him in the face with the firearm and knocked him to the ground, a police spokesperson said. The group collected the man’s cash and phone, then fled the area.
EMS transported the victim to Weiss Hospital in fair condition, the spokesperson said.
About 45 minutes later, three people were robbed as they stood together in the 2600 block of North Halsted in Lincoln Park. The police spokesperson said a gray sedan, possibly a Ford Focus, pulled up, and four or five men stepped out with guns.
One of the robbers hit a 32-year-old woman in the head with a handgun, according to the police spokesperson, and the group, which also included a 34-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman, handed over their valuables. The crew fled north on Halsted Street in the sedan.
The Chicago Fire Department transported the injured woman to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in good condition, according to police.
Finally, around 4 a.m., a 23-year-old woman was robbed in the 1100 block of North Milwaukee. She told police a white SUV pulled up near her, and three men got out with handguns. One of them struck her in the hand as they took her valuables. She declined medical attention.
Police did not release suspect descriptions for any of the crimes.
Robbery reports this year are at their highest level since at least 2019, according to the latest Chicago Police Department statistical report. Holdup cases have increased 13% year-over-year and are up 28% compared to 2019.
