Tragedy struck South Chicago early Saturday morning when gunfire erupted, leaving two men dead and another battling for his life, according to reports from the Chicago Tribune and CBS News.

The incident occurred just before 2 a.m. on the 2500 block of East 83rd Street, two men, both 42, were standing outside when suddenly shots were fired striking both victims and one of them was hit in the neck, he was pronounced dead on the scene and meanwhile, the other man sustained two gunshot wounds to the chest and was rushed to UChicago Medicine in critical condition, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Adding to the grim toll, a 37-year-old man was also found with a fatal chest wound along the 8300 block of South Colfax Avenue and was pronounced dead, as reported by CBS. The close proximity of the two scenes hinted at a connection between the incidents, though police have yet to release official details confirming this theory.

Detectives were left piecing together the violent puzzle as they investigated the shootings, collecting at least 37 evidence markers at the scene, and yet despite the abundance of potential leads no arrests had been made at present, this is what information was gleaned from both the Chicago Tribune and CBS News reports.

This latest outbreak of violence underscores the city's ongoing struggle with gun crime which has claimed too many lives already and has left communities grappling with loss and fear, the investigation by Area 2 detectives is ongoing as they endeavor to provide some measure of justice and closure to those affected.