Blind man fatally shot in West Side drive-by

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A blind man was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting Tuesday night on the West Side.

Chicago police said the 50-year-old victim was standing on the corner in the 3800-block of West Roosevelt Road at about 9:30 p.m. A vehicle approached and police said someone inside fired shots, hitting the victim in the back.

The man was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Family identified him as Johnny Shanklin.

The victim's family said he was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire and they're saying enough is enough when it comes to the gun violence in their neighborhood.

"He was innocent. He was blind. What kind of trouble can he get into? He was blind," said Audrey Brown, the victim's sister-in-law.

Brown isn't the only one grieving for her brother-in-law Wednesday morning. Shanklin's death has the whole neighborhood in tears.

"I cried. I broke down," said Lonzo Spearman, the victim's neighbor.

Spearman said Shanklin, who is completely blind, was being led home from a trip to the corner store when he was shot and killed.

"We had just left him probably about ten minutes before it happened," Spearman said.

All that was left on the scene was his support cane and jacket.

"For him, it's hurting because he's a blind man. He could see nobody or anything coming to end his life," said the victim's neighbor Chantelle.

Neighbors and family members said Shanklin was well known in the community and stayed out of trouble. They said he was not the intended target and that shootings are common in the area and Shanklin's death should be the final straw.

"These young guys out here now, they don't care. They're shooting and killing innocent people, not people they targeted to try to harm. But ya'll killed an innocent man," Brown said.

Chicago police said Tuesday morning they are interviewing two persons of interest Tuesday morning.