Carloads of armed robbers fire shots while rolling through Logan Square, 3 arrested

CHICAGO — Two carloads of armed robbery suspects fired shots in several locations around Logan Square on Sunday morning, Chicago police sources confirm. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and even better, police arrested three people after one of the cars crashed on the West Side.

One of the vehicles, a Ford Edge, was carjacked from its owner in the 3500 block of North Pulaski around 2:30 a.m., according to Chicago police records. The victim told police that two cars blocked him in, and armed men stepped out of the vehicles to take his SUV. That was one of several robberies and carjackings reported in the area overnight.

The gunfire began when the Ford Edge cut off another driver near Armitage and Kimball around 6:30 a.m. Witnesses told police five men in the Edge started shooting at the other car.

About 15 minutes later, several 911 callers reported seeing the occupants of two SUVs firing shots as the vehicles sped through the intersection of Altgeld and Maplewood.

They weren’t done.

Shortly before 7 a.m., witnesses told police that two SUVs fired shots while traveling near Fullerton and Campbell.

Finally, around 7:48 a.m., a Chicago police surveillance camera was rolling as a black Jeep and the Ford Edge stopped in the intersection of North and Western avenues. Video showed “several” armed men get out of the vehicles while waving guns, including at least one rifle, in the middle of the street, according to an officer who reviewed the footage.

Chicago police found the hijacked Ford Edge in the 4000 block of West Grand within an hour. There were shell casings inside the car, according to an officer at the scene.

Then, around 9 p.m., police detained three people who ran from a black 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee after it crashed in the 5000 block of West Division. The SUV was taken from the 2200 block of North Keystone earlier in the morning. Cops believe the Jeep is the car that was involved in the shooting incidents, along with the Ford Edge.

We will post an update if prosecutors approve any charges against the people police arrested.

Robberies in Logan Square, West Town, and Humboldt Park have been surging for months, driven by relentless waves of robbery sprees.

The crimes have continued even after a local alderman, Daniel La Spata, assured his constituents in July that police had crafted a “concrete and collaborative plan” to address the problem. Robberies in La Spata’s ward are up another 140% since his announcement.

A coalition of neighborhood groups is calling on city and Cook County officials to address “dramatic increases in violent crime,” especially armed robberies, in West Town, Logan Square, Wicker Park, and adjoining neighborhoods.

Recent robbery spree coverage