Fire safety worker, 21, critically injured in Uptown shooting near Truman College
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A worker for a fire safety company has been shot in the head and critically injured near Truman College in the 1100-block of West Wilson in the city's Uptown neighborhood.
The victim, 21, was taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital and is in critical condition. Witnesses say the technician was recharging fire extinguishers at an SRO when he went out to his truck to get the last set of extinguishers and was shot.
Police said the 10 a.m. shooting appeared to be a drive-by, and the victim was not the intended target. Police said Tuesday night the suspect was driving a black four-door sedan with tinted windows.
Truman College immediately sent out text and phone alerts to all students, regardless of whether they were on campus.
The victim works for Martin Mack Fire and Safety, which installs and inspects fire extinguishers and fire safety equipment. The service technician had been on the job for two weeks.
Inside Liberty Tax, a business only 20 feet away from the shooting, Maria Rivera was at her desk when she heard four to six shots. She and her co-workers ran out to help. They called the police and an ambulance from the station just down the street.
"It's a shame," Rivera said. "It just broke my heart. I mean, I've never seen anyone get shot up close. It's sad."
Shadi Hinnawi was in his store when another man ran inside for cover. That man, who police believe was the intended target, was in his car when the shooting started. He jumped into the back seat when two bullets hit the vehicle, one bullet entering just below the driver's side window.
"I had just grabbed my coffee from 7-11," said Hinnawi. "If I was later ten minutes, I would have been in the middle of it."
"Like that could have been anybody," said Truman student Eman Hamdan. "They shot the wrong person. It's just ridiculous. It's getting out of hand."
There are half a dozen private security cameras mounted on the facades of buildings across the street from the shooting, and ABC 7 News was told at least one of them captured the shooter's car as it proceeded about a block down the street before turning down Racine.
