CHICAGO (CBS) — Eight people were shot and three of them died Monday afternoon in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood on the Southwest Side.
Police said at 2:10 p.m., police were called to a shooting at a home in the 3500 block of West 59th Street, between St. Louis and Central Park avenues in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood.
Officers found that eight people – four men and four women, all between the ages of 20 and 35 – had been shot. Chicago Police Chief Jon Hein said three of the four men were dead.
Police believe a social gathering was taking place at the time of the shooting, Hein said. There were no reports of children being present.
According to the Chicago Fire Department, the victims were taken by paramedics to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, one to the University of Chicago Medical Center and one to Mount Sinai Hospital. Two were also transported to hospitals themselves.
After the mass shooting, dozens of children were released from a nearby school — and had to walk through the crime scene to get home. A woman was also seen getting into a Chicago police car with a lot of blood running down her leg, but it did not appear that she had been shot.
A person who lives nearby said the home where the shooting occurred is the site of many parties and other activities.
“I came home from work and I saw a lot of people in the house – it was more than twenty people – and shortly after that I started hearing shots – very loud shots – maybe, I don’t know, I can’t. you know how many more,” said neighbor El Towers. “It looks like it was a party. There are always people in that house partying.”
Street pastor Donovan Price was on scene Monday afternoon. He deplored the violence.
“Just sad. It almost makes you hopeless, but you have to keep hope in times like these. You have to keep yourself together,” Price said. “You really have to want to reach out and kiss your loved ones, and love your loved ones, because when so many people are shot in a situation like this, it’s especially hard during the holidays.”
Price also contrasted Monday’s horrific violence with Americans celebrating Thanksgiving last Thursday.
“Definitely a lot of confusion, a lot of sadness, a lot of tears, a lot of wondering who went to which hospital – some things that are the opposite of just a few days ago when we were celebrating family and celebrating. with family, and everyone was so happy and had a joyful season,” he said.
Hein said the investigation into the mass shooting is too early to have much more information available, including whether a suspect or getaway car has been identified.
