At least three gunmen opened fire on a father and his two special needs children who were outside waiting for a school bus Wednesday morning, hitting and critically injuring the 21-year-old son, authorities said.
About 6:30 a.m., officers responded to a call of shots fired in the 4700 block of South Wolcott Avenue, and when they arrived, they found the 21-year-old on the ground unresponsive, Deering District Cmdr. Don Jerome said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. Police discovered the man had been shot three times, once in the head.
The 21-year-old was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, Jerome said.
The 21-year-old was with his father and a 15-year-old sibling. Both of the siblings have special needs, Jerome said, and they were at the bus stop waiting to catch their school bus.
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“This was just a tragic incident. … No one should be shot, let alone shot while waiting for a school bus. No father should see his children shot like this,” Jerome said.
Police said the shooters fled north on Wolcott. No one was in custody and detectives were investigating.
ShotSpotter, a gunfire detection system, alerted to 39 rounds at the scene, and multiple shell casings were recovered, Jerome said.
The location of the shooting is a “gang area” with an ongoing gang conflict, Jerome said.
Investigators said the gunmen shouted gang slogans before firing shots, likely believing that the family was part of a rival gang, but none of the family members have any gang affiliation, Jerome said.
“We really are very familiar with that beat, with that area, with that conflict,” Jerome said. “It’s a serious problem that we’re in the midst of addressing.”
Anyone with information about the shooting can reach out to CPDtip.com or Area 1 detectives at 312-747-8380.