Chaos erupted in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood early Sunday morning when a man found his stolen Dodge Durango in a grocery store parking lot, leading to a firefight followed by a destructive crash, according to reports from the Chicago Sun-Times. The vehicle's owner, a 31-year-old man with a valid concealed carry license, exchanged gunfire with the suspected car thieves after he spotted the stolen SUV, despite being advised by the police not to pursue it, this all began around 8:50 a.m. on West 87th Street.
The shootout resulted in a 23-year-old man inside the stolen vehicle getting shot in the shoulder and neck, now in serious condition at Trinity Hospital, after the gunfire exchange the suspects tried to escape, and they crashed the vehicle into a nearby T-Mobile store, causing significant damage but they were able to run from the scene. A juvenile was captured and hospitalized with injuries from the crash, CBS Chicago reported.
Investigators seized three weapons, one from a suspect, another found on the ground near the wreckage, and the third inside the Durango. The stolen vehicle did not survive the ordeal as it was reported totaled following the incident. No other injuries were reported outside of those involved in the stolen vehicle.
A witness described the fleeing suspects as disturbingly young, "I feel like to be honest the age has to be 14 to 13 years old. They were children, babies. They don't know what they're doing. They don't, like they are very, they were that young," the witness told CBS Chicago. As the investigation continues, the whereabouts of two other suspects who fled on foot remain unknown, while the neighborhood grapples with the aftermath of this mid-morning violence.
