Eisenhower Expressway shooting victim speaks out after nearly dying on way home from Blackhawks game

Eyewitness News Exclusive

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Friday, October 8, 2021
Man speaks out after nearly dying in Eisenhower Expwy. shooting
An expressway shooting in Chicago on I-290 left a man badly injured as he was driving home from a Blackhawks game with his son.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A father and son are talking about being the target of gunfire last week along the Eisenhower Expressway.



The father was badly injured after the driver of another vehicle cut them off near Kedzie and shot at them.



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"The shooter had half his body outside the car and you know, I'm not sure which shot hit me," the victim said.



By all accounts, it's a miracle he is still alive after being shot while driving on the Eisenhower Expressway last week.



"When you consider that it's literally a week and a half-day since my carotid artery and jugular vein were severed. I lost most of my blood. I have no business being here," he said.



The Chicago area man walked out of the hospital on Monday. Three days later, he shared details of the terrifying attack both he and his adult son experienced on Sept. 29.



Neither man wants their identity revealed for fear of retribution by the gunman responsible for the shooting which happened as the two made their way home from a Blackhawks game on the Ike. That's when the victim's son said they were targeted by another driver for some unknown reason as they neared Kedzie Avenue.



"The gun was pointed sideways, like something out of a movie, and I saw the first two shots and got down," the man's son said.



"I was trying to make sure my son was out of the way. I just couldn't avoid it," the father said.



His dad had been hit in the neck by one of the bullets that pierced the windshield and dash, but still managed pull over. That's when he says his military training kicked in. He called 911 and applied pressure to the wound until paramedics arrived.



Doctors say his quick thinking probably saved his dad's life.



"If it wasn't for them doing what they did, my father would be dead," the son said.



"My son's a hero to me," his father said.



Illinois State Police are still looking for the shooter as they beef up patrols in hopes of keeping other motorists safe.



After more than six hours of surgery and several days in the ICU, Dad is finally recovering at home, but struggles to heal from the trauma.



"You don't want to be afraid to live, but you have to be aware of your surroundings," he said.

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