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North Center Shooting Result of Drug Deal Gone Bad, Ald. Says

By Patty Wetli | January 11, 2016 11:30am
 The shooting happened just four blocks from Mayor Rahm Emanuel's home.
The shooting happened just four blocks from Mayor Rahm Emanuel's home.
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DNAinfo/Dave Matthews

NORTH CENTER — A shooting in North Center on Friday night that left one man dead and two people injured started out as a party that morphed into a drug deal gone wrong, according to Ald. Ameya Pawar (47th).

The shooting happened around 7:33 p.m. in an apartment building at 1950 W. Belle Plaine Ave., police said.

"Based on what we know so far, this was a party ... a bunch of people sitting around drinking," Pawar said on Monday, noting that the investigation was still active.

The person throwing the party "called his dealer," the alderman said. "How that escalated into a shootout is beyond me."

Andrew Holmes, a crisis responder with the city Department of Public Health, said at the scene that the shooting stemmed from an altercation inside the apartment building.

Holmes said all victims were men — one black, one Hispanic and one white. A woman also was involved though he did not clarify how. Another witness at the scene told reporters that a woman exited the building in handcuffs.

Holmes is a long-time anti-violence activist who travels to crime scenes to comfort and support victims. He several people were taken into custody for questioning. Police said Monday that no charges have been filed.

Friday's incident was not related to another shooting earlier last week on Lawrence Avenue, he said.

"I get the fear, I understand people's worries," Pawar said of concerns over the recent rash of violence.

Though Friday's shooting was not indicative of a trend or a "larger systemic issue" in the neighborhood, it couldn't be dismissed as occurring among people "not from here."

"We have a community of 60,000 people. You're going to have folks doing what they shouldn't be doing. People do drugs and call their dealer," he said. "They're our constituents, they're our neighbors."

Pawar said he and his staff would reach out to the landlord of the apartment building where the shooting occurred.

 

— Jack Lydon (@JackLydon63) January 9, 2016


[DNAinfo/Dave Matthews]

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