The 74-year-old man was shot just after 9 a.m. Monday near Lincoln and Berteau avenues in the city's North Center neighborhood.
"He is still in very serious condition. He is out of surgery. He's in the ICU, but he is progressing, so my prayers and the prayers of the entire community are with him as he continues to recover," said 47th Ward Ald. Matt Martin.
In surveillance video from a nearby camera, you can hear the gunfire and see two people leaving the area.
"I'm still kind of upset. Here, an officer, right in front of my shop, a retired officer who gave all of his time to protect the city, to protect us, and we cannot protect him," said local business owner Gary Kinsler.
Concerned residents said they found the victim on the ground next to his vehicle.
He had been shot twice in the left arm and suffered a graze wound to the neck. He was rushed to Illinois Masonic Hospital in critical condition.
"When I saw a person on the ground, and I saw police try and lift him up," said Mong Duong, another local business owner.
Those ABC7 spoke with who work and live in the area are eager to find out why this happened.
"Are we going to be safe in the future? Because it happened, so I'm concerned about it," Duong said.
"I hope and pray for the officer for a quick recovery. I pray for his family, and I pray for our city," Kinsler said. "It's sad when you're in the shop, and you hear gunshots 50 feet away from you, and 'Where is it going?' Let's hope and pray things get better."
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