Man wounded in Bishop Ford shooting on South Side

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A man was wounded in a shooting that shut down part of the Bishop Ford Freeway early Wednesday morning on Chicago's South Side. Investigators said the shooting may be gang-related.

The 22-year-old man was riding in a vehicle that entered southbound I-94 from South Stony Island Avenue around 1:30 a.m., Illinois State Police said. That's when a black Nissan pulled up along the driver's side of the vehicle and someone inside the Nissan opened fire.

The victim, who was riding in the left rear passenger seat, was shot in the right hand. There were three other people in the car with him. A 25-year-old man was driving, a 23-year-old man was sitting in the front passenger seat and a 31-year-old man was sitting in the right rear passenger seat. State police said two of the four men in the vehicle are documented gang members.

ISP said the vehicle the victim was riding in came to a stop in the bushes and weeds just off the southbound freeway near 111th Street.

He was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center. His injury was not life-threatening. No one else was hurt.

Investigators closed the Stony Island entrance ramp and the southbound lanes of I-94 for about two hours to search for evidence. All lanes and the ramp reopened around 3:30 a.m.

The cause of the shooting remains under investigation. No one is in custody. The Nissan may have front-end damage and orange tape on the rear window, state police said.

This shooting is one of 42 expressway shootings in the Chicago area this year. State police have added patrols, but the shootings have not let up. There is a call for the federal government to come in and protect drivers.