Two people were shot and critically injured in Edgewater Thursday morning, according to Chicago Fire Department officials.
The shooting happened sometime around 7 a.m. in the 1400 block of West Thome Avenue, authorities said. The two people were taken to an area hospital, where they were in critical condition, fire officials said.
Chicago police were responding to a call of service in the area, but have not yet released additional details.
John O’malley was drinking coffee in his living room when he heard “pops” and saw a woman and girl run across a nearby parking lot.
“There was a five second, 10 second delay ... then it was ‘pop, pop, pop,’” O’malley said. “Another delay, then ‘pop, pop.’”
He called 911. He then looked down the street and saw two people laying on a ground with a weapon between them.
Multiple neighbors say one of the victims was walking their dog. O’malley noted the dog was “very protective,” laying on top of the person before “snapping” at police officers who arrived at the scene. Officers tied the dog to a tree while paramedics worked on the victim it was guarding.
“The dog was doing his job,” O’malley said.
In a letter to residents in the area, Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th) noted the two shot were adults and the area was secure and closed off to the public.
“We have to get these guns off our streets. Violence of any kind is unacceptable,” Manaa-Hoppenworth told the Sun-Times. “My first priority is making sure our public way is safe for everyone. Our students all made it safely to school this morning. No children were involved in the incident.”
The shooting happened near Hayt Elementary School and Northside Catholic Academy before students were dropped off for the school day, residents said.
Some residents in the area were shaken up or stunned by the shooting, while others were more mildly surprised.
“This is the first time someone’s been shot in such close proximity to where I live,” said Nancy Onderdonk, a 30-year resident of the neighborhood. “When [gun violence] comes this close, that’s when people hopefully get more involved.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
