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In the evening hours of July 21, 2020 gunshots filled the air. The incident took place in the Gresham neighborhood located on the South Side in Chicago. Around 6:30 p.m. in the 1000 Block of 79th Street, a black vehicle was seen hurtling west, heading towards a funeral party.
According to First Deputy Superintendent Eric Carter, the occupants of the vehicle began firing shots at the funeral attendees. Some of the people in the group were carrying their own weapons and began firing back at the assailants. Carter has also stated that the driver of the vehicle turned north onto Carpenter Street. The funeral party continued to be fired until the vehicle crashed about halfway down the block.
The occupants of the said vehicle reportedly fled the scene on foot. One anonymous witness described the sound of the incident, claiming to be able to hear several different weapons firing. According to the witness, many of the gunshot victims fell to the ground in front of the liquor store. According to Carter, there were 14 victims being treated in five area hospitals.
Chicago Fire Department’s spokesman Larry Langford reported that most of the victims were in serious to critical condition. Detectives are still investigating the crime scene. At this time there have been at least 60 shell casing found.
At this time there has been no motive for the shooting or if it was connected in any way to anyone at the funeral. Authorities have not disclosed who the funeral was for. Due to the size of the funeral party, a police presence was there. However, it is unclear if a squad car was present at the time of the shooting.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Source:
Chicago Tribune: 14 people shot in exchange of gunfire at funeral in Gresham neighborhood on South Side, authorities say
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