CHICAGO — Ald. Deb Mell (33rd) said Tuesday that police told her they had been monitoring a local funeral home where a wake was being held for a reputed gang member in the hours before a shooting that injured two men.
Around 7:45 p.m. on Monday, the two were standing in the 3200 block of West Montrose Avenue when they heard gunshots and felt pain, said Officer Jose Estrada, a Chicago Police spokesman.
A 29-year-old man was grazed in the right leg. He was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center where his condition was stabilized, Estrada said. A 20-year-old man was shot in the right arm. He was also take to Illinois Masonic Medical Center where his condition was stabilized, Estrada said.
Patty Wetli says Ald. Mell's answer raises even more questions:
The shooting took place near the Benson Family Funeral Home, 3224 W. Montrose Ave., where visitation was being held for Ismael Lopez, killed last week in a gang-related shooting that occurred in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.
Police told the Tribune they believe gang members were throwing gang signs and shouting gang slogans.
Mell told DNAinfo Chicago that she spoke with officers in the Albany Park District after the shooting and was told police were aware of the wake and had been monitoring the situation throughout the day. The visitation for Lopez was scheduled for 4-9 p.m. Monday, according to Benson's website.
The district's tactical team and unmarked cars were patrolling the area, Mell said.
"I'm really looking forward to talking to the funeral home," said the alderman. "That's a good question of what kind of security was in place."
Reached via telephone, a Benson employee refused to comment about the shooting and messages requesting information about security measures were not returned.
Neighbors reported, via the Albany Park Neighbors Facebook page, seeing a large crowd gathered outside the funeral home, drinking and smoking marijuana, in the hours before the shooting.
Gang funerals in general are a cause for concern across the city, Mell said.
"I'm going to talk to all the funeral homes in the area," she said, and was looking at what steps could be taken to prevent incidents like Monday's shootings in the future.
"Any time there's senseless gunfire, it's not good for our community," said Mell.
"We hope for peace & safety in our neighborhood," the owners of Templestowe Pub, 3135 W. Montrose Ave., said on Twitter following the shooting. "Senseless loss of life."
No one is in custody for the shooting.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
