An alderman who represents a large part of the North River calls for a “more coordinated strategy” to handle down late at night. Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) made the announcement on Monday, one day after the neighborhood saw its second late night shooting in a week.
Shortly after Reilly had distributed an e -mail about the shootings, the Chicago police announced that it assigns a new commander to the nearby North (18th) district. Christopher Bielfeldt will be the third commander of the district in less than two years.
Around 12:39 pm on Sunday, a 39-year-old man was shot several times while he was in his car in a parking lot on 319 West Ontario, according to CPD and Reilly.
“After the shooting, the victim left his vehicle and walked to Franklin and Erie, where he collapsed,” said Reilly, who added that the victim is in critical condition in the Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Almost exactly a week earlier, around 4:02 am on 11 May, a 25-year-old man was shot during a fight outside a nightclub in the 100 block of West Ontario.
Another man was shot on Sunday, March 9 around 3.15 pm during an argument with a group of people in the 500 block of North Franklin.
“Although targeted acts of violence such as these are difficult to prevent, the activity is predictable late in the evening and requires a more coordinated strategy,” Reilly said Monday. “This kind of violence in the heart of River North is incredibly worrying. It is still early in the season and the temperatures are mild – we have to stay ahead now.”
He said he will meet the 18th district commander to discuss CPD’s late-night strategy for the neighborhood.
Shortly after Reilly released his statement, CPD sent its own announcement, so Bielfeldt was in charge of the district, which covered the area between Fullerton, the River and Lake Michigan.
Bielfeldt, a 26-year-old veteran of CPD, recently served as a captain responsible for public safety activities at Midway International Airport. He previously served as a captain in nearby North District, experience that will come in handy if the department tries to get a grip on the club surge before the summer arrives.
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