In a spate of frightening efficiency, Chicago's Southwest Side neighborhoods experienced a series of armed robberies early Monday morning. According to the Chicago Tribune, 11 individuals were victims of gunpoint robberies across four different locations, all within a harrowing 30-minute window. The suspects, described as two armed men, have eluded capture thus far.
Victims ranging in age from 17 to 57 were forced to the ground and relinquished their belongings as the perpetrators rummaged through pockets and bags. These incidents, occurring in the New City and Brighton Park neighborhoods, fanned the flames of concern for residents regarding their safety, as the Tribune reports. The authorities have not yet determined if these actions are linked, but the men were seen escaping the scenes in a dark-colored SUV. The string of robberies left no one injured, yet the specter of violence casts a long shadow.
The Chicago Sun-Times detailed the timeline and locations of the attacks. It began around 1:10 a.m. on the 4600 block of South California Avenue, where a woman and a teenage girl found themselves accosted and searched by the gunmen. Roughly twenty minutes later, two more women were similarly violated of their peace—and property—on the 4800 block of South Seeley Avenue. Then, marking the night with an appalling punctuality, a mixed group of men and women were subsequently robbed near South Richmond Street, followed in swift succession by the robbery of another man and woman on West 46th Street.
At present, the Chicago Police Department's Area One detectives are piecing together the events of the night.
