Man shot, seriously injured while boarding CTA bus on South Side: Chicago fire officials

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A 20-year-old CTA rider was shot while getting on a bus on Chicago's South Side Thursday afternoon, Chicago police said.

Two male suspects were standing on the sidewalk in the 7900-block of South Drexel Avenue in Grand Crossing about 1:10 p.m., when they fired multiple gunshots at the man, police said.

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The man was shot in the back, and taken to University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition, CPD said.

CFD initially said the victim was 21 and stable.

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The suspect fled on foot in an unknown direction.

No one was in custody later Thursday.

There were no other reported injuries.

Area Two detectives are investigating.

Many people were in the area when the shooting took place.

"It's senseless, and this time of day there's kids out here, other people going about their lives doing the right thing. What can make you that mad to take another person's life?" said one resident, who did not want to be identified.

Some community activists were on the scene, too.

They said they've been trying to reach the youth to prevent these shootings, and say it's frustrating to see this kind of crime continue.

"We have to figure out what the core problem is. It's something mentally going on, and we know social media plays a big role in this behaviors because everyone wants to be a superstar with a gun," said community activist Marcus Robinson, with United Legion One Nation.

Buses on 79th were rerouted for several hours after the shooting.

Chopper 7 was over the scene just before 2 p.m. There was a large police response in the area, and a No. 79 CTA bus was within the crime scene tape.

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