CHICAGO — Surveillance cameras recorded the almost execution-style murder of a man as he walked with people who appeared to be his friends near a Chicago elementary school playground early Wednesday. More than 35 shell casings were found at the scene, generated by at least two gunmen who fired relentlessly at the victim, even after he fell to the grass.
CPD released a brief media advisory about the shooting, which occurred around 5:08 a.m. in the 10100 block of South Prairie next to the Bennett Elementary School playground:
A 33-year-old male victim was discovered unresponsive outside at the above location with multiple gunshot wounds about the body. The victim was pronounced on scene. No other injuries were reported. No one is in custody at this time. Circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation by Area Two detectives.
Video posted online shows exactly what happened: The victim and three companions were walking in the middle of Prairie Avenue when one of the men started running ahead of the others. After he took a few steps, one of the other men, standing directly behind the victim, fired a shot from point-blank range.
The shot appears to either miss or inflict minor injuries because the victim is seen ducking after the shot and then trying to run away. At that point, both the original gunman and the man who jogged ahead of the group unload a torrent of bullets, sending the victim to the grass between the street and sidewalk.
The footage, which may be disturbing for viewers, is available here.
CPD supervisors asked investigators and evidence technicians to expedite their work, hoping to keep students from being exposed to the crime scene as they arrived for class.
Officials have not released the victim’s name to the public, but a review of Cook County court records showed he had not faced felony charges here in over a decade. Those earlier cases were for possessing a stolen vehicle and illegally possessing a firearm.
