4 arrested after reports of shots fired on I-290 during funeral procession, Hillside chase

HILLSIDE, Ill. (WLS) -- Four people attending a funeral were arrested Tuesday in west suburban Hillside after allegedly firing guns and attempting to flee from police, according to Hillside police.

Shots were fired during a funeral at the Prince of Peace Baptist Church in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood, located in the 5400-block of West Van Buren Street, police said.

The offenders, who were in the same vehicle, were part of a funeral procession, which authorities described as "total chaos" with passengers hanging out of vehicle windows and driving in and out of traffic as they headed toward Oakridge Cemetery in Hillside.

Police identified the offenders' vehicle as being involved in multiple shootings earlier Tuesday in Chicago - including the shooting during the funeral.

The funeral procession traveled from Chicago to Hillside via the Eisenhower Expressway, where police received more reports of shots fired.

Hillside Police Chief Joseph Lukaszek saw a passenger inside the offenders' vehicle show a weapon and attempted to pull them over. However, the driver refused to pull over.

Lukaszek drove his vehicle into the offenders' vehicle "with force" to stop it, near Mannheim and Harrison roads.

Two people jumped out and attempted to run away. One tried to climb into a dump truck before taking off again. Eventually, they were caught by officers.

The four people - three men and a woman, all in their 20s - were arrested. Police said the suspects have more than 160 previous arrests combined. Charges are pending against all four suspects.

Three guns, containing high-capacity magazines with high-impact ammunition, were also recovered from the scene, police said.

Investigators said they believe the shooting was gang-related.

"The incident stemmed from an ongoing problem suburban police departments are having with funerals that begin in the City of Chicago and proceed to the various suburban locations for burial," Hillside police said in a statement released Tuesday.

Chicago police usually notify local authorities when such a procession is headed their way, Lukaszek said.

"Typically, (Chicago police) do a good job keeping us in the loop," Lukaszek said.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.