Woman shot by robber while walking home near O'Hare Airport

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A 55-year-old woman was shot by someone who tried to take her purse early Thursday morning on Chicago's Northwest Side near O'Hare International Airport.

She was on her way home from work, walking from a nearby train station around 12:20 a.m. in the 5400-block of North Chester Avenue when police said she was approached by two men, who demanded her purse.

When she didn't give it to them right away, there was a struggle and one of the men shot her at least once in the stomach, police said. Mary Flahive, a neighbor, witnessed the shooting.

Witnesses said the attack happened as their 55-year-old neighbor walked home from the CTA's Blue Line as she returned from work.

"I had literally just seen these two guys pass me. Then all of a sudden I heard all the screaming and yelling and thought this woman was being attacked. I saw the skirmish. Then I heard the gunshot," Flahive said.

Another witness, too nervous to show her face, said even after shots were fired, one of the men continued to attack the woman.

"I clearly saw her, stumbling, hunched over. Then the guy grabbing her. But he pulled her out of my view," she said.

The men took off with the woman's belongings and got into a car driven by another person, police said.

The crime occurred feet from the neighborhood playground.

"I mean, this park here. Hundreds of kids a day are in this park. This is crazy," Flahive said.

The victim was rushed in serious condition to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. Her son said she got out of surgery late Thursday morning and was on a lot of medication, but is expected to survive.

Area North detectives are trying to track down a description of the vehicle. They asked the public for information that would to lead them to the three suspects. No one is in custody.

Another neighbor said another woman in her 50s was recently carjacked in the area. He said he is concerned about what he's calling a spike in crime.

ABC7 Eyewitness News reached out to Alderman Anthony Napolitano (41st Ward) to find out if anything is being done to make people feel safer. As of late Thursday morning, he had not yet responded.

Police continue to investigate. No one is in custody.