A 37-year-old man was shot and critically wounded last week on the West Side after what was supposed to be a routine online sales transaction turned into a robbery. Now, Chicago police say the men responsible for the crime carried out at least two similar incidents in recent weeks.
The shooting occurred around 5:20 p.m. on February 27 in the 1000 block of North Leamington Avenue, in the Austin neighborhood. According to CPD, the victim was sitting inside a vehicle to complete an online sales deal when the would-be buyer robbed him at gunpoint and shot him. The victim was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to his back.
Detectives believe the same offenders are responsible for two earlier robberies in the area, according to a CPD alert. The first occurred on February 18, at 6:41 p.m. in the 1500 block of South Keeler Avenue, and the second on February 26, at 3:52 p.m. — just one day before the shooting — in the same block of North Leamington Avenue where the victim was later shot.
Police said the offenders have been using online marketplace listings as bait, luring sellers to the Austin and Lawndale neighborhoods under the pretense of completing a legitimate purchase. Once the seller arrives, the suspects pretend to send payment via a banking app before producing a weapon and taking the merchandise by force. In at least one of the earlier incidents, police say a robber fired shots at the victim as the victim attempted to flee. No injuries were reported in that case and CPD did not say which of the earlier robberies involved gunfire.
Detectives believe two or three men are involved in the incidents, describing them as Black males of unknown ages. One was last seen wearing a black jacket, a white shirt, and white sneakers.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Area Four Detectives at 312-746-8253. Anonymous tips can also be submitted at CPDTIP.com using reference number #P26-4-009A.
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