Five gunmen jumped out of a car and opened fire on a River North street corner overnight, spraying dozens of rounds and leaving one man dead and another injured. Now, Chicago police are working to track down the killers.
During the day, the intersection of State Street and Grand Avenue is packed with pedestrians, commuters, and visitors moving through the busy Red Line station. Even in the early morning hours, the area is rarely deserted as nearby bars empty out, tourists return to their hotels after a night on the town, and travelers head toward the airport.
But at about 3:20 a.m. Wednesday, a newer matte gray Honda Accord traveling west on Grand Avenue stopped at State Street, and five men climbed out, according to an officer who reviewed surveillance video. At least two of the men were armed with rifles while the others carried handguns. All five immediately opened fire, the officer said.
Police recovered dozens of shell casings from the scene. Investigators had difficulty locating all of the evidence because strong winds were blowing the casings around the intersection, an officer said.
Chicago police said two men standing in the 500 block of North State Street were struck by gunfire. A 30-year-old man, who investigators initially believe was the intended target, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Court records show he had multiple convictions for unlawful firearm possession and most recently received a five-year prison sentence after being caught with a gun on State Street less than two blocks from where he was killed.
The second victim, a 65-year-old man, was shot twice in the foot and was listed in fair condition at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to CPD.
After the shooting, the gunmen got back into the Honda and fled onto the expressway. Investigators determined the car was displaying a license plate that had been stolen from another vehicle, a tactic commonly used to make identification more difficult. Officers who reviewed surveillance video described the shooters as five Black males wearing black hooded sweatshirts and face masks.
So far this year, six people have been shot on the Near North Side, half the number recorded at this point last year and well below the 35 people who had been shot by this date in 2022, the neighborhood’s deadliest year for shootings in at least 25 years.
Wednesday’s fatal attack came just days after another shooting nearby. At about 2:13 a.m. Sunday, a 32-year-old man was critically wounded during an armed robbery in the 400 block of North LaSalle Street, according to CPD. Police said four men arrived in a white SUV, one demanded the victim’s property, and another pulled out a firearm and shot him multiple times. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition.
Witnesses told officers the victim was with a woman when four robbers, described only as Black males, approached from a white Honda parked near the northwest corner of North LaSalle and West Hubbard streets. After the robbery, the men got back into the car and fled south on Wells Street across the Chicago River. According to officers, surveillance video showed the Honda had black door handles, black rims, a black rear spoiler, and tinted windows. No arrests have been announced.
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