WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — Four people walking on the sidewalk on the Far South Side were among at least seven shot in the city on Christmas Eve.
The four males, ranging in age from 15 to 22 years old, were walking on the 9400 block of South Justine Street at 7:30 p.m. when an unknown man walked up to them and fired, police said.
All four were seriously or critically injured.
Two of the victims, a 15-year-old boy and a 22-year-old man, were taken to Advocate Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn. A 17-year old boy was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and a 19-year-old man was taken to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, said Chicago Police spokesman Jose Estrada.
As of Tuesday morning, all the victims were still alive and were stable, though the severity of their wounds are unknown, Estrada said.
Latrell Spivey, who has lived on the 9400 block of South Justine Street for 22 years, said it is usually a quiet block.
"They couldn't even take a break on Christmas Eve," Spivey said shaking his head. "The streets don't care, man. The streets don't care."
Another man wearing a Santa hat said he lived nearby and was trying to visit family after getting off work, but could not get past the police tape.
"What a f---ing way to bring in Christmas," he said.
In another shooting incident Monday, a man was in the 8000 block of South Union Avenue at 5:50 p.m. when he was struck by shots fired from a dark, older four-door car driving north, police said.
The man was hit in the leg and back. Paramedics from the Chicago Fire Department treated the man at the scene, but he refused to be taken to an area hospital, Estrada said.
At 9:15 p.m., another male was shot in the 1200 block of West Washburne Street and was taken to Stroger, authorities said.
And about 11:50 p.m., a 21-year-old sitting in car was approached by two males on foot in an armed robbery, Estrada said. At least one of the attackers shot into the car and struck the man in his lower abdomen.
Friends took the man to Little Company of Mary Hospital. He was later taken to Advocate Christ, where his condition was stabilized, Estrada said.
