A 49-year-old man was shot and killed Tuesday evening on Chicago's Far South Side after his car crashed in the Calumet Heights neighborhood, turning an already tense scene into a full-scale homicide investigation.
Police said the shooting happened on the 8800 block of South Paxton Avenue just before 8 p.m. The driver was rushed from the wreckage to a hospital, where he later died, as a heavy police presence shut down the block and detectives started piecing together what led to the violence.
According to ABC7 Chicago, the man was struck twice in the head and tried to get away before crashing his vehicle. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition and was later pronounced dead, the outlet reported. Police have not released information about any suspects or a possible motive.
Paxton Avenue's recent violence
The killing adds to a troubling string of shootings and close calls along parts of Paxton Avenue this year. A recent bullet grazed a 13-year-old inside a home on the 9900 block on April 11, and WGN reported a fatal shooting in that same stretch in February. Together, those cases underline how the Far South Side has seen repeated, sometimes deadly, gunfire in recent months.
Police probe and how to help
Chicago police said Area Two detectives are leading the investigation and have not released suspect descriptions. Anyone with information is asked to call Area Two at (312) 747-8273 or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTip.com, per the Chicago Police Department. Detectives also urged residents to hold onto any phone or door-cam video that could help the case.
There were no immediate arrests, and police said they expect to release more details as the investigation moves forward. Our thoughts are with the victim's family as Area Two detectives continue to follow leads.
