Shot fired during Wicker Park robbery as holdup sprees continue

CHICAGO — A gunman fired their weapon while mugging a man in Wicker Park on Wednesday afternoon, part of yet another robbery spree that swept through the area and Logan Square.

In a bit of good news, Chicago police detained three robbery suspects after a woman was carjacked in Pilsen late last night.

Here’s the latest:

The gunshot was fired in the 1200 block of North Paulina around 1:37 p.m., according to Chicago police. They said a 48-year-old man was outside when a red SUV pulled up. An armed man exited the vehicle, robbed the victim at gunpoint, and fired the weapon, but no injuries were reported, a CPD spokesperson said.

Two robberies were reported within minutes, both involving a red SUV: a woman was targeted at gunpoint at the BP station, 2800 West Fullerton, around 1:50 p.m., and a man was robbed at gunpoint by two men at the Amoco station, 2318 North Sacramento, about ten minutes later.

A red SUV may have been involved in at least two more holdups on Wednesday night, one near the 3100 block of West Chicago Avenue around 9:45 p.m. and the other near Huron and Damen about 10 p.m.

In the latter incident, officers were told that three men wearing white masks tried to carjack a nanny as she was driving. She escaped without injury.

Other robberies were reported in Logan Square: in the 3800 block of West Cortland around 11:25 p.m. and in the 3500 block of West Wrightwood about 15 minutes later.

The positive development occurred an hour later, after a successful carjacking occurred in Pilsen.

Gunmen took a 19-year-old woman’s 2011 Nissan Murano near the 1700 block of South Racine around 11 p.m., but her phone remained in the vehicle, and Chicago police quickly began to track its movements.

Officers found the Murano about ten minutes later in the 1100 block of South Laflin and took three suspects into custody, including one who hid on top of a garage in the 1400 block of West Grenshaw. On Thursday morning, CPD announced that one of those taken into custody, a 16-year-old boy, is charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm.

Yet, even after those men were rounded up, another robbery occurred within an hour in Logan Square.

Three masked men in a blue vehicle pistol-whipped a man and took his valuables in the 3000 block of North Davlin.

Several robberies were reported during two waves on Tuesday morning:

A man walking home with a pizza was robbed at gunpoint by three men who forced him to reveal his PIN in the 800 block of North California around 1:40 a.m. The offenders fled in a black Jeep.

A man and his girlfriend reported three masked gunmen who got out of a black Jeep in the 1700 block of North Drake robbed them about 30 minutes later.

In Bucktown, a man sought help at a Chicago Fire Department firehouse in the 1900 block of North Damen after being robbed by three armed men around 3:25 a.m.

Several more victims were targeted on the Northwest Side during an hour-long spree that began around 6 a.m.

In each case, two or three masked men emerged from either a black Audi or a gray Honda SUV to rob people on the street.

Incidents were reported near the 3300 block of North Cicero; the 3700 block of West Montrose; the 4500 block of North Long; the 5300 block of North Giddings; near the intersection of California and North avenues; and in the 1600 block of North Richmond.

Robbery reports are up 22% this year, according to CPD’s latest statistics report. But some areas, particularly Humboldt Park, West Town, and Logan Square, have been especially hard-hit.

In the Austin (25th) District, which includes the west side of Humboldt Park, robberies are up 107% this year. For the 28 days ending Monday, robberies were 322% higher than the same period last year.

The Shakespeare (14th) District, which includes the eastern part of Humboldt Park and Logan Square, West Town, Bucktown, Wicker Park, and parts of Avondale, is seeing a 49% increase in robberies this year. The last 28 days were 190% higher than last year.

Robberies are up 54% this year in CPD’s Near West (12th) District, which includes parts of West Town and the Near West Side, much of the West Loop, Fulton Market, and Pilsen.

Holdup sprees have been happening on an almost daily basis for months. Here is some of our more recent coverage: