1 dead, 4 wounded in Brighton Park ambush-style gang shooting, alderman says

ByWill Jones WLS logo
Thursday, January 12, 2017
5 shot in Brighton Park shooting
Five people were shot, 1 fatally, in Chicago's Brighton Park neighborhood.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A man died and four others were wounded Wednesday night in a shooting in Chicago's Brighton Park neighborhood.

Alderman Raymond Lopez (15th Ward) said a group of gang members drove into the 4200-block of South Talman Avenue around 6 p.m. and "ambushed" another group of men before opening fire.

Police said an 18-year-old man was shot in the head, a 22-year-old man was shot in the face, an 18-year-old man was shot in the back, a 25-year-old man was shot in the arm and a 21-year-old man was shot in the finger.

A child was also hurt during the shooting, but police said that child was not shot.

Police said the men left the scene and apparently tried to drive themselves to the hospital. But they crashed their car in a vacant lot at South Western and South Archer avenues.

The 18-year-old man who was shot in the head died at the scene. His identity has not yet been released.

The 22-year-old man and 18-year-old man were transported to Stroger Hospital, where they are listed in critical condition. The 25-year-old man was also taken to Stroger, where his condition stabilized. The 21-year-old man was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition also stabilized.

The alderman said incidents like these are all too common in this community.

"This is something that I have been dealing with since I became alderman - something that my residents have been dealing with for the better of 20 years - this generational gang culture," Lopez said.

The alderman said he is concerned that an assault style weapon was used in the shooting. About 30 shell casings were found at the scene. Police are looking into if the shooting is connected to another shooting a couple of weeks ago at West 43rd and South Rockwell streets.

Investigators said no one in custody.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.