A 49-year-old man was left in critical condition and a 16-year-old girl was wounded after gunfire erupted inside a home in Chicago's Gresham neighborhood Friday evening, according to police. The shooting happened at about 7 p.m. in the 7900 block of South Hermitage Avenue, following a verbal altercation between two men.
The man was shot multiple times inside the home, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, which reported that he had been arguing with someone he knew just before the gunfire broke out. The 16-year-old girl was also struck by gunfire inside the home, the outlet reported. Both victims were rushed to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where the man remained in critical condition while the girl was listed in good condition.
Investigators Question a Person of Interest
Area detectives are investigating the shooting, and police have questioned a person of interest, per the same account. No further details on the nature of that questioning or the outcome have been released.
The circumstances echo another recent Gresham shooting, in which a 14-year-old boy was shot to death in the 8000 block of South Carpenter Street, according to ABC7 Chicago. Officers in that case responded to a call about a person shot just after 11:30 p.m., and the teen was transported in critical condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, the station reported.
Citywide Gun Violence Trends Through 2026
Friday's shooting adds to a year that has tracked close to 2025's pace on some measures of violence in Chicago. The city had recorded 319 homicides through September 25, matching the same period a year earlier, according to the Chicago Tribune. The Tribune also reported that most homicide victims this year died from gunshot wounds, and that the Austin community area has recorded the most homicides so far in 2026, with 28.
Earlier in the year, shootings were running slightly ahead of 2025's historically low pace. Chicago recorded 210 homicides through the end of June, nearly 6% more than during the first half of 2025, according to WTTW. The outlet also reported 686 shootings and 858 shooting victims citywide over that same span, a 4% increase year-over-year.
Not every category of crime moved in that direction. Reported robberies fell 27% and armed robberies dropped 32% compared with the prior year, while carjackings declined 25% and burglaries fell 12%, WTTW reported. Police also recovered 5,149 firearms from the start of 2026 through June, including 857 in June alone, according to the same report.
No arrests have been announced in connection with Friday's shooting on South Hermitage Avenue, and the investigation remains active.
