After Easter shooting, Hyde Park neighbors say violent crime is on the rise

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Neighbors say an Easter morning shooting near the University of Chicago is only one of many violent crimes that occurred over the past week in the Hyde Park neighborhood.

Police said a 31-year-old man was shot at multiple times near 50th and Kimbark on Sunday morning.

After the shooting, the victim drove a few blocks away before crashing his car near 56th and South Lake Park.

The victim is expected to recover. So far, police do not have any suspects in custody.

The shooting happened right in front of Todd Henderson's home.

"I was sad somebody was hurt and upset that there are this kind of--that that's the reaction of people to disagreements is to pull out a weapon and shoot somebody, " said Henderson.

Henderson said he was getting his childrens' Easter baskets ready when it happened.

" I have a 13-year-old, a 10-year-old and a 7-year-old and we're encouraging them to take the bus and walk around and be independent and when someone gets shot right in front of your house, makes you a little bit worried that that's the right call as a parent."

Henderson said this is only one of many violent crimes that occurred over the past week, which is uncommon for the area frequently patrolled by campus police.

According to recent campus security alerts, there have been multiple gun-related incidents over the past week.

The most recent alert reported a faculty member was robbed on East 56th Street near Kimbark around 8:20 p.m. just blocks away from the earlier shooting. The victim was walking on the sidewalk off campus when a suspect approached them from behind and took out a handgun and demanded their property. The suspect took off with the faculty member's cell phone and wallet before running away.

Earlier last week, there were two other campus security alerts of another possible armed robbery and a shooting just days before Sunday's incidents.

All three incidents occurred off-campus.

Henderson said, "We need to do something to convince people that resorting to violence to solve their problems is not the right way to go."

Andrew Holmes, a community activist weighed in on recent criminal activity.

"You just have more people over here. There's students here going to school. Then you have people that are looking for opportunities to commit this crime and make a bad decision and a bad choice which is wrong," Holmes said.

Chicago Police said there has not been a notable increase in violent crime and did not comment on the recent incidents other than to say they are still investigating.