Five wounded in two shootings

by CYRYL JAKUBOWSKI

Five people were shot in two separate incidents over the weekend near Portage Park, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

Two men were shot at about 12:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, in the 5800 block of West Irving Park Road, according to police.

A 22-year-old man and a 23-year-old man reported that as they were walking on Irving Park, shots were fired and one of them was struck in the leg above the knee an the other was grazed in the stomach, according to police. The 22-year-old man was treated at Illinois Masonic Hospital, police said.

Three people including a 4-year-old girl were shot at about 10:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, while they were in a vehicle in the 4300 block of North Central Avenue, according to police.

An 18-year-old driver reported that as he was driving north on Central with a 4-year-old relative, a 17-year-old teenager and a 20-year-old man, a gray Infinity containing three people passed them at a high rate of speed and a rear passenger fired several shots at their vehicle, according to police.

The girl was struck in the upper left leg and was admitted in good condition to Lutheran General Hospital, according to police. The teenager was shot in the thigh and the man was shot in the elbow and the leg, and both were treated at Illinois Masonic Hospital, police said.

Alderman Timothy Cullerton (38th) said that he plans to hold a community meeting in response to the shootings.

"This was the second shooting in the ward recently," Cullerton said. "The victims will survive, but I can imagine that it would be a traumatic experience. I’m working with the police on having a community meeting about this."