CHICAGO – What the heck is going on in the 1600 block of West Howard? And why don’t the Chicago police and the local councilman fix it?
For the second time in less than a week, a surveillance camera captured footage Sunday of a gunman firing into a group of people gathered on the street. Days earlier, two armed men were involved in a gun battle at the same location. That incident was also captured on camera.
Although no injuries were reported in the last two incidents, a man was murdered (actually executed) at the same location earlier this year.
The latest confrontation took place around 3:34 am on Sunday. The video shows two groups standing on opposite sides of Howard Street: three people on the north side and a larger group on the south side.
The three walk across the street, with one of the men gesturing broadly towards the other group. As he approaches, he appears to confront a member of the opposing party. Then everything goes sideways.
The man he appeared to be confronting pulls out a gun and starts shooting. The crowd disperses as more shots are fired. The man, who had made wild gestures while crossing the street, fell to the sidewalk while trying to flee. He gets up, stumbles and falls again as the gunman runs away, heading north towards Paulina.
Watch:
Last Monday, September 30 around 10:25 p.m., a gun battle at the same location left bullet holes in cars and shattered windows in business storefronts. Once again no injuries were reported.
Last week’s video starts with two men standing next to a bicycle at the top of the screen, at the mouth of an alley. A third man approaches from the left. The ensuing gunfight involves the approaching man and the man standing in the alley next to the wall.
When the approaching man, holding his right waistband, comes within approximately 15 to 20 feet of the alley, the first gunman pulls out a firearm and begins shooting at him.
The intended target quickly turns and takes cover behind parked cars on the other side of Howard Street. Further down the street you see many people running for safety as shots are fired.
Sparks fly from Howard Street as bullets hit the pavement one after another.
As soon as the potential victim appears on the sidewalk behind parked cars, a gun is already visible in his hands. He fires shot after shot at the first shooter, who has fallen or taken cover behind the bicycle at the mouth of the alley.
Watch:
On June 17, a gunman shot and killed a 38-year-old man at the same location on Howard Street. As the victim in that case entered Howard Street, a hooded gunman quietly emerged from the alley behind him. When he reached the yellow lines in the middle of Howard Street, the gunman sprinted out of the alley and shot him in the head at close range. The victim died on the spot.
The killer ran back into the alley and fled in the same direction as the first gunman during last week’s shootout. (Videodiscretion strongly recommended.)
Neither the murder nor the recent shooting incidents have led to any arrests.
