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Neighbors Alarmed By Theft, Shooting At Lansing Auto Parts Store

LANSING, Ill. (CBS) -- A theft with gunfire transpired Sunday at an auto parts store in south suburban Lansing.

One of the workers tried chasing the thief down, only to end up in the hospital. CBS 2's Eric Cox talked late Sunday to a witness who watched the suspect speed away.

"I heard it go, 'Pop, pop, pop!'" a witness said.

A man ran away after stealing from the Auto Zone located at 18307 Torrence Avenue. A worker chased after, so the thief started shooting – sending the worker to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest.

"I was getting ready for church and I heard gunshots," said witness Tom Botkin.

Botkin lives close by. He has called Lansing home for more than 50 years.

"Almost every day there's shots in Lansing," he said, "and it never used to be that way"."

Botkin told CBS 2 detectives confirmed he saw the man they are searching for get away in a black Audi sport-utility vehicle.

"I looked out my door, I saw a guy get in his car and pulling away," Botkin said.

After the suspect took off, Botkin and other neighbors met outside.

"That's when we found the shell casings on the ground," Botkin said.

Luckily, no one's home was hit by a stray bullet.

Officers arrived moments later as an hours-long investigation began.

"There's a lot of violence right now, so it's just scary," said another neighbor who wished to remain anonymous.

The second neighbor was also home when the gunfire began.

"I just ran around and got nervous," she said. "It's been a very intense morning."

The worker who was shot returned to the store a few hours after the incident. He and his coworkers shared a long embrace, happy to see him OK.

CBS 2 has reached out to the Lansing police and Auto Zone for more information on the subject. We were still waiting to hear back Sunday night.

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