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Evanston Gangs to Blame for Fatal Rogers Park Shooting, Alderman Says

By Quinn Ford | September 2, 2014 2:31pm | Updated on September 2, 2014 2:51pm
 Two men were shot Sunday night, one fatally, inside the gates of this apartment complex in Rogers Park.
Two men were shot Sunday night, one fatally, inside the gates of this apartment complex in Rogers Park.
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DNAinfo/Tanveer Ali

CHICAGO — A shooting over the weekend that left a 29-year-old Rogers Park man dead was the result of an Evanston gang dispute, according to the alderman who represents the area.

Ald. Joe Moore (49th) issued a statement Tuesday about two shootings that happened in Rogers Park over the Labor Day weekend.

Moore said Chicago Police believe the fatal shooting in the 7400 block of North Ridge Boulevard stemmed from a dispute between Evanston gangs "which spilled over into Chicago," according to the statement.

About 8:45 p.m. Sunday, two gunmen approached a group of people standing inside the gates of an apartment complex and opened fire, police said.

Two men, both 29 years old, were wounded in the shooting. One was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the lower leg.

The other man was shot in the shoulder and hit in the stomach twice and later died at St. Francis Hospital. He was identified as Paul Land, of the 7400 block of North Ridge Boulevard, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

On Tuesday, Moore said the group in the apartment complex was having a barbecue. He said the host of the party had just moved into the building and was believed to be a member of an Evanston street gang.

A representative of the Evanston Police Department said Tuesday the department could not immediately comment on the fatal shooting but said Land was not a known gang member.

The department also could not confirm Moore's statement that Sunday's shooting stemmed from an Evanston gang dispute, said Evanston Police Commander Jay Parrott. Preliminary information suggested it could be a possible explanation, Parrott said.

Parrott did say an Evanston man was shot on the same block earlier this summer. On Aug. 10, a 20-year-old Evanston man was shot in the arm in the 7400 block of North Ridge Boulevard.

The statement also discussed an unrelated shooting where a man and woman were shot in the 1300 block of West Morse Avenue Sunday evening.

About 5:15 p.m. that night, a gunman fired shots from about a half a block away, Moore said.

The 29-year-old woman was pushing the 28-year-old man in a wheelchair when they were both struck by the same bullet, Moore and police said.

The woman was shot in the chest and the bullet grazed the man's head, Moore said. Both were treated for their injuries at St. Francis Hospital and later released.

Police are still investigating a motive for the shooting but do not believe the man and woman were the intended targets.

Commander Thomas Waldera, who heads the 24th Police District, is considering adding a foot patrol officer on Morse Avenue during weekends, Moore said. Waldera has also requested additional officers from gang enforcement and narcotics task forces, Moore said.

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