12 People (Including a 3 year old) Shot in South Side Park

[Napoleon the Clown]

Chigago Tribune

12 people, including 3-year-old, shot at South Side park

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Shooting victim

A shooting victim is taken from the scene near the intersection of 50th Street and Wood Streets in Chicago. (E. Jason Wambsgans, Chicago Tribune / September 19, 2013)

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1800 West 51st Street, Chicago, IL 60609, USA

By Peter Nickeas and Jeremy Gorner Tribune reporters

11:52 p.m. CDT, September 19, 2013

Twelve people, including a 3-year-old child, were shot at a Chicago park in the Back of the Yards neighborhood Thursday night, authorities said.

Ten adults and the 3-year-old were transported by Fire Department ambulances after in the attack in the 1800 block of West 51st Street in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, said Fire Department Deputy District Chief James Mungovan. A 12th victim was believed to have driven himself to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, a source said, citing preliminary information.

Three of the victims, including the child, were taken to local hospitals in serious-to-critical condition, according to the Fire Department's news office. Four were in fair-to-serious condition, and four were in good-to-fair condition, according to the Fire Department. Victims were taken to hospitals including Northwestern Memorial Hospital, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, and Mount Sinai, Holy Cross and St. Anthony hospitals.

A witness at the scene said three police officers carried the child to an ambulance.

"I didn't hear no sounds," from the child, he said.

The attack took place about about 10:15 p.m. and fire officials called an Emergency Medical Services Plan II, sending at least 10 ambulances to the scene.

A total of at least 11 people were shot, including the 3-year-old, who was shot in the face, according to a source.

As of 11 p.m., Police News Affairs could only confirm that multiple people were shot at the location.

The shootings appeared to have taken place on a basketball court on the 51st Street side of Cornell Square Park near Wood Street. Ambulances were still responding about half an hour after the shootings took place, as injured people were still being brought out of the park on stretchers. About 60 police officers were on the scene.

Check back for updates.

And yet another one...

[The Romulan Republic]

My prayers are with the victims.

[Broomstick]

>sigh<

Last night I tuned into the Chicago 9 pm news to check the local weather and was pleasantly surprised that murder did NOT lead the news. There were two deaths from lightning strikes and discussion of a sewer worker killed in recent storms, but no murders. Went to bed thinking, hey, today was more peaceful than average.

Apparently, about the time I was turning out the lights and crawling under the covers the park shooting occurred.

Reminds me all too much of Detroit in the late 1970's... and we all know what happened to Detroit.

I don't really have an answer. Of course I have sympathy for the victims and their families, but I despair of positive change any time soon.

[Broomstick]

An update, gleamed from several news sources as a summary:

The people shot were at a late-night pick-up basketball game, which apparently had family members as spectators, thus accounting for the presence of a three year old.

The party(s) who opened fire apparently aimed at the lower limbs of those present, which is why the adults had leg injuries and the three year old was shot in the face.

Based on both eyewitness reports and forensic evidence the weapon involved is believed to be an "assault style weapon", that is, semi-automatic with a high capacity magazine.

The police believe this was gang related. The chief of police hastened to add, though, that that in no way justifies shooting people.

Everyone shot will live, although the three year old will require reconstructive surgery on his jaw and face.

Absolutely no one believes that the gun used was a legally acquired weapon. The Chicago power structure is, as usual, calling for more gun restriction and enforcement. Others are pointing out that more regulation wouldn't have done jack in a situation involving an illegal weapon that was probably acquired by either straw purchase or theft.

[Alyeska]

12 shot. 12 live? Thank goodness for small miracles. This could have been much worse. I hope the victims and families recover swiftly.

[Zaune]

Spree kneecapping? That's a new one...

[Broomstick]

12 shot. 12 live? Thank goodness for small miracles. This could have been much worse. I hope the victims and families recover swiftly.

Unfortunately, at least one of them will require repeated surgeries. There hasn't been much detail on the injuries suffered by any of the affected. It's up to the families how much would be released to the public, but since at least a few of them just got done burying another relative last week, also due to gunfire, perhaps they just don't feel like saying much.

The police chief has acknowledged that some of those at the pick up game were gangmembers, but emphasized that gangbangers are just as entitled to the protection of the law as anyone else, which may have been pointed at least somewhat at the press and how prone they are to list a victim as either gang or non-gang. The chief pointed out that assault and murder are determined by the actions of the perpetrator, not whether or not the victim was or was not a gang member. This may be extraneous detail to outsiders, but it is tangled up with local issues.

Apparently some details are being withheld due to the nature of the police investigation.

Spree kneecapping? That's a new one...

Yes, it is different... I mean, yay, no one died but getting shot sucks at best, and being maimed for life is pretty horrible.

[Broomstick]

Oh - a small correction. It was 13 people shot in this incident, not 12.

[whackadoodle]

12 shot. 12 live? Thank goodness for small miracles. This could have been much worse. I hope the victims and families recover swiftly.

In no small part because of all the trauma practice that the Chicago area hospital ER's get, 'cause, you know... all the damn violence.
Same thing in Atlanta. Cops who get shot and are capable of asking, ask for Grady. Why? They get all of the gunshot trauma practice in the ER there.