The victims are two men and one woman -- at the moment little else is known about them. Chicago Police are saying there is no connection between these killings and the murder of five people last week on the city's South Side. Wednesday's murder scene is located in the 2800-block of South Kildare in the Little Village neighborhood.
The medical examiner is not ready to release the names or ages of the three people who died, but police are confirming suspicions this may be the result of a robbery of a well-known neighborhood drug house and detectives think the three victims were targeted.
"It happens all the time," said Kalina Ortiz, Little Village resident. "My little brother is unfortunately involved in gangs and he goes in and out the house (where the murders happened)."
The second-floor apartment is known for the buying and selling of drugs. Now it's also known as the place where two men and one woman were bound, gagged and shot to death. The bodies were found just before 7 a.m. Wednesday morning.
"There was no forced entry in the back door. That's an indicator perhaps the victim and offenders knew each other. The fact there was a money counter indicates there could have been drug activity in the location," said Cmdr. Roberto Zavala, Chicago Police.
Residents report shootings are relatively common in the area and gang membership is practically a way of life.
"In order to live out here, you almost have to be in a gang. Otherwise you couldn't survive," said Ricardo Trevino, Little Village resident.
"It is very difficult to say no. That's why they invite them to contact schools and churches. We have many different programs for them to protect them," said Father Marco Mercado, Good Shepard Church.
Mercado says they open their churches to young people trying to give them an alternative to hanging out on the streets. They plan to do more but they say parents must take responsibility.
"I come home from work and I see kids on bikes at 3, 4 in the morning. It's supposed to be past curfew," said Ortiz.
Police towed two vehicles from the front of the home Wednesday. There was a call for a white or silver Odyssey minivan with California license plates that police think may be connected.
