LINCOLN PARK — A man ran into a Walgreens a couple blocks west of the DePaul University campus Wednesday night after he'd been shot at least three times, police said.
About 8 p.m., the 29-year-old man ran into the drugstore in the 1500 block of West Fullerton Avenue after he was shot in his chest, leg and hip, said Officer Hector Alfaro, a police spokesman.
The man was "very uncooperative" with police and refused to tell officers where he was shot. The man is a gang member and convicted felon, Alfaro said.
He was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center where his condition stabilized, Alfaro said.
Police said because the man was not cooperating, they could not say for certain where the shooting happened, but residents and local businesses reported hearing shots on the block near the time the 29-year-old ran into the drugstore.
Mansions, upscale apartments and public housing line the block and the surrounding area where the man was found shot.
Thursday morning, residents said the shooting had put them a little on edge but said crime is not unheard of in the area.
Md T. Islam manages the Mr. Submarine restaurant just across the street from the Walgreens. Islam said his store has been robbed twice in the past two months.
"They only got 70 bucks," he said with a laugh. "Overall it's not that bad compared to the South Side ... but it could be improved, especially by cops driving around more."
After the shooting, news cameras descended on the scene. Islam said it reminded him of December, when police found Joseph Banks, also known as the "Second-Hand Bandit" hiding out in an apartment on the block after he had escaped from federal prison in the Loop.
Kim Alta, who lives in the area, said she was unsettled by a shooting so close to home, but said news of other crime is not uncommon, like when her friend had an iPhone stolen in a local coffee shop.
"You definitely have to keep your guard up," she said. "But that's how it is a lot of places."
Alta said she is already cautious walking around but said she still feels safe in her neighborhood, despite the recent shooting.
"It's not a bad area, but news like this is definitely scary," she said.
