Morning gunfire shattered the calm on Chicago's North Side on Wednesday, leaving one man dead and another fighting for his life in Edgewater, authorities said. The shooting unfolded just before 7:20 a.m. in the 1400 block of West Thome Avenue, as stunned neighbors watched police squads and ambulances flood the street.
According to ABC7 Chicago, the two men were outside when gunfire broke out. Both were rushed to St. Francis Hospital. A 53-year-old man was listed in critical condition, while the second man later died at the hospital, the station reported. Investigators recovered two firearms at the scene and have not yet determined what sparked the violence.
Scene and response
Police said the men were outside when they were shot. Officers quickly taped off the block and detectives moved in to search for shell casings and other evidence, ABC7 Chicago reports. The scene unfolded just around the corner from Northside Catholic Academy, where a heavy police presence was hard to miss for anyone starting their day.
Detectives have not released any suspect description, and no arrests had been announced as the investigation continued.
North Side context
The deadly attack is the latest in a string of shootings to rattle North Side neighborhoods this spring. In nearby West Ridge, daylight gunfire outside West Ridge recently left another man critically wounded.
Community leaders have been calling for stepped-up patrols and more outreach on the North Side as police work to piece together what happened on West Thome and why the block turned into a crime scene shortly after sunrise.
