CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- As police continue to hold a “person of interest” in the road-rage shooting of a toddler Tuesday morning on Lake Shore Drive in Grant Park, a Good Samaritan is being crediting for saving time by rushing the boy to the hospital.
According to Chicago police, the shooting happened around 11 a.m. Tuesday morning during a road rage incident. The car was shot at over the course of two blocks on northbound Lake Shore Drive near Roosevelt Road.
The boy was shot in the face; and the car he was traveling in ended up crashing in the northbound lanes of the 100 block of Lake Shore Drive.
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Witnesses said a woman in the car got out with the child and screamed for help. One car - a Telsa - stopped and the driver took the family to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
The driver, who wished to not be identified, spoke to CBS 2.
”She had a baby in her arm, and she was screaming and trying to get people to pull over,” the Good Samaritan said. “There was a lot of crying and screaming: ‘My baby! Baby has been shot!’”
The man was asked why he stopped.
“Because they needed help, and it looked like no one else was going to help them,” he said.
He knew what needed to be done: get the baby to Northwestern Hospital as quickly as possible.
From there, the boy was transferred to Lurie Children’s Hospital just up the street and rushed into surgery.
“I’m hoping the baby recovers,” the Good Samaritan said. “I hope, I hope that it actually made a difference.”
Dr. Marcelo Malakooti, medical director of the pediatric intensive care unit at Lurie said "it's a very serious bullet injury. It's to his head, so it's truly remarkable what children can sustain."
He said the boy was in grave condition.
“He is requiring full critical care support. We are doing all we can do for this little boy and thank everyone for their concern," Dr. Malakooti said.
Police said it was a road rage incident and shots were first fired from someone in an SUV into the Lincoln carrying the toddler. Then the driver of the Lincoln returned fire, before crashing.
Late Tuesday, Chicago Police said they were questioning a person of interest.
There was early confusion over the child’s exact age; the hospital statement described him as “nearly 2” years old.