Early Friday morning in Chicago's North Austin neighborhood, tragedy struck at a local strip mall as a 37-year-old man was found fatally shot inside an SUV that had collided with the wall of a Ross store. According to ABC7 Chicago, the incident occurred in the 4900-block of West North Avenue just after 3:30 a.m. Responding officers discovered the man had suffered two gunshot wounds to the chest.
The victim was rushed to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. As of now, there is no one in custody, and Area Five detectives are at helm of the investigation. In an alignment with the severity of the events, only steps away from the crash site, police were also present at a nearby BMO Bank, though it remains unclear whether the two scenes are connected.
Further details about the victim or potential suspects have yet to be released. The adjacent area was canvassed by police as they gathered evidence and attempted to piece together the events that led to this violent outcome. Despite the early hour, the incident has raised concerns about crime in the area, which has seen similar instances in the past.
Simultaneously, Chicago Sun-Times reports that the man, whose identity has not been disclosed, was discovered in a white SUV. At the moment, no suspects have been detained and the matter remains a top priority for local detectives.
