CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Two Catholic high school basketball stars, who signed to play with Division I schools next fall, are recovering Wednesday morning, after being wounded in a drive-by shooting this week on the South Side.
According to police, TY Johnson, 17, and TaKiya “TK” Howard, 18, had been talking outside Johnson's Englewood apartment, located in the 7000 block of South Throop Street, Monday evening when someone in a passing car fired at them. Both were hit.
Police said officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert around midnight and found the two. They were unable to provide a description of the vehicle. A source said at least 19 rounds were fired.
Johnson was grazed in the back of his head and brought to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, police said. Howard was struck in the ear and brought to Stroger Hospital, where she was stabilized.
Howard's mother told CBS 2 the bullet is lodged in her daughter’s neck near her carotid artery.
“TK, she’s fighting. She’s young, she’s fighting. And she was trying to assure me, ‘Everything’s OK, I’m OK.’ It’s draining, it’s just draining, that’s all,” Kimberly Howard said.
Both teens played for Catholic high schools. Johnson is a DePaul College Prep star and Loyola University recruit; while Howard starred at De La Salle Institute. She is expected to play at Murray State University in Kentucky next season.
Howard’s club coach Barry Bradford told CBS 2 "TK, we affectionately call her. She is, she is just a lightning rod. Lights up the room wherever she’s at. She’s got a sweet personality. Everybody wants to be around TK. She is a jokester. That was her dream to get a Division I scholarship.”
Which she did, to Murray State in Kentucky.
TK’s mother told CBS 2 her daughter is determined to leave for Murray State later this month.
Area 1 detectives were investigating the shooting, and no one was reported in custody.
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