Caught on video: Chicago shootout leaves teen injured, homes and businesses damaged near Horner Park
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A shootout began early Friday morning at a Shell gas station on Chicago's North Side.
Several businesses and apartments were damaged in the incident, and a 17-year-old boy was injured.
Chicago police said an anonymous witness told them at about 3 a.m., a black Infiniti truck and a red sedan were both driving west in the 2800-block of West Irving Park Road, near Horner Park, shooting at each other.
The teen was dropped off at Swedish hospital by the red sedan after suffering a graze wound to the top of his head, CPD said. He is in good condition, but is not cooperating with police.
Neighbors are shaken up; some hundreds of feet away have bullets in their windows.
The loud barrage of gunfire from several guns, include an automatic weapon, woke up sleeping residents.
A man who lives in the neighborhood said that bullets came flying through his home while his daughter was sleeping.
"I woke up to the shots, and my daughter screaming and I went to run to her, and when I was going to her then two bullets came through the window," Aaron Koppel said. "So it just went right through the living room, through the kitchen, into the kitchen cabinet."
He said he wishes the gas station where the shootout began were closed permanently.
Koppel said he hasn't slept.
"It's hard with my faith like OK how much do I believe in God and everything, so this is just a wake-up call to make me think about it some more," he said.
Another woman who lives nearby said a bullet flew into her home, as well.
"I have three kids. I'm super scared now. I don't want to go outside, honestly," said Aleksandra Matejevic.
Holding her 2-month-old baby, Matejevic said she's lived there for eight years.
"Everything is different now. You think this is OK, and a good area, and look what happened," Matejevic said.
Surveillance video shows the red sedan and a silver car at the gas pumps of the station, located at California Avenue and Irving Park Road.
People from both vehicles are seen talking to each other and pumping gas.
Then, shortly after, a third car comes from the alley and opens fire on the two cars at the pumps.
One of the bullets hits the roof of the red sedan, creating a puff of smoke, just missing the man's head as he dives into the passenger side.
The cars take off, but then a shootout begins.
"One inch to the left, and it would've gone straight through my bedroom window," said Hector De Leon. "Here, Irving Park area, it's by no means an unsafe neighborhood. But, it's just creeping into everywhere in Chicago."
Dori Goldman is still reeling from the shooting.
"To me, it sounded like, I don't know, almost 30 shots were just continuous, just going and going. It jolted me from sleep. I took the dog, and I ran from the windows. I thought it was happening right outside my door," Goldman said. "Why are people carrying automatic weapons? There is no need for them."
Seventeen shell casings were marked in the street throughout the morning. Bullets, not only struck apartments, but businesses, too.
"They were putting boards on the window that was broken this morning. Thank God we didn't get affected," Lidia Hernandez, who owns Marvin's Auto Service.
No one else was reported injured in the incident.
Area Five detectives are investigating, but they did not have anyone in custody later Friday morning.
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