CHICAGO — A shooting in a downtown alleyway left two men wounded, police said Sunday.
While dozens of people filed into the Chicago Theatre on busy State Street, the East Benton Place alley next door was at the center of a double shooting investigation.
Around 5 p.m., police responded to the 100 block of N Wabash Avenue. Police learned one man was shot in the hand and another was shot in the ear. According to police, both men – a 27-year-old and a 55-year-old – were in an alleyway when they were wounded.
Ambulances rushed both shooting victims to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in fair condition.
Authorities did not say the shooting was an isolated incident.
Pilsen resident Carson Goodwin spoke to WGN News and said the news of the downtown shooting was alarming.
“That’s crazy that it’s just like, it’s broad daylight basically,” Goodwin said.
Officers searched for evidence on the Wabash side of the alley going into nearby businesses, as theatergoers arriving for the Drunk Shakespeare show almost couldn’t believe their eyes. Susan Fumo was downtown from the western suburbs celebrating her 55th birthday with friends.
“I see this tape and seriously, I pulled up and I was like, ‘oh my gosh, a crime scene,'” Fumo said. “I joked about it and actually it is and that’s really upsetting.”
Sunday’s shooting is the third downtown incident involving gunfire this weekend. Citywide, two dozen people have been shot since Friday evening, eight of them killed.
Those who reside in the city say scenes like Sunday evening remind them to be careful.
“I try to carry my pepper spray and be as safe as I can,” South Loop resident Vickie Knoll said. “But yeah, it’s definitely a concern.”
An investigation is ongoing.
