CHICAGO — A man angered by a traffic accident opened fire on another car on a busy Wicker Park street Friday morning, wounding an 11-year-old boy, Chicago police said. The brutal shooting happened at 8:27 a.m. in the 1400 block of North Western Avenue.
The boy was driving a car when the driver, one of his grandparents, hit another car, causing minor damage, according to witnesses. When the boy’s relative stepped outside to exchange information, the driver of the first car opened fire, CPD said in a media statement.
A bullet hit the boy in his left hand. He was taken to Stroger Hospital and is in good condition.
According to a witness, the shooter was a black man wearing a black hoodie, 6 feet tall and about 180 pounds, possibly driving a gray Infiniti.
Although only five people have been shot in Wicker Park and Bucktown this year, Friday’s incident is the second of the week. Tuesday afternoon, a 15-year-old boy was found shot in the 2100 block of West North Avenue. CPD said the boy was driving a vehicle when he was shot in the leg, but they provided no other information about what happened or who may be responsible.
Last year, eight people were shot in Wicker Park and Bucktown.
Ten people were shot in 2022, including three in a single incident outside a nightclub in the 1500 block of North Milwaukee. Ten people were also shot in 2021, including five in a single incident outside another nightclub in the 1500 block of North Milwaukee.
CWBChicago was founded in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had become discouraged by the inaccurate information presented during local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has since expanded to Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown and other North Side areas. But our mission remains unchanged: to provide original public safety reporting with better context and more detail than mainstream media. Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com
