CHICAGO — Twice this weekend, people have been found shot in outdoor locations without any 911 calls being made about gunfire. Both shootings occurred on blocks that used to be monitored by the city’s ShotSpotter gunfire detection system, which Mayor Brandon Johnson decided to eliminate in September.

First, a man was found shot and critically injured inside a car in the 10500 block of South Cottage Grove around 8 a.m. Saturday, according to a Chicago police media statement.

CPD dispatch records show the fire department headed to the scene after a 911 caller reported the man was bleeding for unknown reasons. CFD asked the police to ride along.

First responders found a 28-year-old man in the passenger seat of a vehicle with a gunshot wound to his face. Police said they found a firearm inside the car. Preliminary information indicated that the injured man is a concealed carry license holder.

Then, at 2:07 a.m. Sunday, a 31-year-old man was found shot on a sidewalk in the 4000 block of West Wilcox. CPD released very little information about what happened, but the department said the man was in fair condition at Mt. Sinai Hospital with gunshot wounds to his right leg.

The only report of shots fired in the area of the second shooting came from a 911 caller who reported hearing gunfire near the intersection of West West End Avenue and Kildare Avenue around 1:28 a.m. That’s about a quarter-mile from where the man was found.

Saturday’s victim was found in a neighborhood that is represented by Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), who was among the City Council’s two-thirds majority in favor of keeping ShotSpotter. Sunday’s victim was found in an area represented by anti-Shotspotter Ald. Jason Ervin (28th). j

Brandon’s Bodies

As of 12:01 a.m. on September 23, 2024, Chicago terminated its relationship with ShotSpotter, a gunfire detection system deployed in 12 of the city’s most violence-impacted neighborhoods.

Mayor Brandon Johnson stubbornly refused to reconsider his decision to dismantle ShotSpotter, even though the vast majority of aldermen, many citizens, victim’s advocates, and his handpicked police superintendent requested that it remain in place.

This reporting series, named “Brandon’s Bodies,” seeks to document cases of shooting victims and police investigations that could have benefited from gunshot detection technology.

The general criteria for inclusion are a gunshot victim found outside in a location previously served by ShotSpotter with either (1) no accompanying 911 calls about gunfire or (2) calls about gunfire in a general area that did not lead to the timely location of the victim.