Police Search For Men Who Went Around Firing Gun From Inside Car This Week In Albany Park; 2 Were Wounded
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Police issued a community alert Tuesday about two men went around firing a gun at people from inside a car in Albany Park this week.
In two of the incidents, people were shot and wounded. As CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported, the motive remains unclear.
"We're going to have three incidents all involving the same, what appears to be the same offenders," an officer said over the radio at the time of the incidents.
The incidents all happened in the early-morning hours on Monday. The shots were fired at 1:06 a.m. in the 4000 block of North Kimball Avenue, at 2:52 a.m. in the 4300 block of North Troy Street, and at 4:19 a.m. in the 4800 block of North Kimball Avenue.
In the latter two incidents, people were struck by the gunfire, police said.
In the Troy Street incident, which happened near Cullom Avenue, a 35-year-old man said he was inside his vehicle when the assailants came up in their car and started firing. He was wounded in the back and taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized, police said.
The man who was shot in that incident somehow managed to get help on busy Montrose Avenue.
The shattered windshield glass was still sprinkled on the street near that scene.
In the incident in the 4800 block of North Kimball Avenue near Lawrence Avenue, a 43-year-old man was sitting in his car when the car also pulled up and someone began firing shots at him, police said. That man suffered a gunshot wounded to the right hand and drove himself to Swedish Covenant Hospital, where he was reported in good condition.
In the first incident in the 4000 block of North Kimball Avenue near Irving Park Road, no one was injured, police said. But there were three young men – ages 18, 22, and 25 – in a vehicle that the assailants shot at, police said.
"I did hear about three gunshots," said Laura Aguirre. "It sounded like it was right outside here."
She added, "Extremely scary, because I walk to and from work."
Police earlier said the final incident near Kimball and Lawrence avenues in which someone was wounded might have been gang-related. For the Troy Street incident, detectives had listed the motive as unknown as of late Tuesday afternoon.
The suspects are described as two men wearing face masks and dark clothing. Specifically, police said over their radio systems that the gunmen were wearing some kind of Halloween masks from the movies "Purge" or "Scream."
Their car is a newer-model dark gray four-door Acura with a moon roof and tinted windows.
Police released multiple photos of the vehicle.
Police advised everyone always to be aware of their surroundings and to remain calm if confronted by an offender, to pay special attention to suspicious people, to remember any unique descriptive characteristics of suspects, to call police rather than chasing a fleeing assailant, and to call 911 immediately and provide a description of an offender.
Anyone with information is asked to call Area North detectives at (312) 744-8261.
