LINCOLN SQUARE — The shooting death of a cabbie found in his cab in Lincoln Square left co-workers stunned and heartbroken.
The driver, identified by the cab union as Kamil Shamji, 59, was found outside the Sulzer Regional Library in Lincoln Square on Monday morning, police said.
Authorities are conducting a homicide investigation after finding him in the 4400 block of North Leavitt Street around 7:55 a.m. Monday. He had been shot in the head.
“We are heartbroken over the loss of Kamil Shamji, and offer our deepest condolences to Mr. Shamji’s friends and family," according to a statement from Cab Drivers United and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
"Kamil Shamji’s murder last night reminds us all of the almost constant danger cab drivers put themselves in everyday when they go to work. Serving every corner of Chicago, their visibility allows them to serve residents and visitors, but at the same time, it makes for easy targets."
Shamji moved from Pakistan to Chicago and had worked as a cab driver for 35 years, according to ABC. Peter Enger, a spokesman for United Taxidrivers Community Council, said the man was found in the front seat of the cab. Enger said the driver's last fare had been someone who had ordered the cab, not someone who had been picked up.
Enger said a photo of the shooter should be available because the driver's cab had a photo or video camera that captures all customers who ride in the back seats. Enger said police should have the photo of the shooter, but haven't released it yet. Enger wants the photo released soon so other cab drivers can avoid the shooter.
No one is in custody.
The last time a cab driver was killed in the city was January 2015, when Chinedu Madu, 51, was shot, said a different spokeswoman for the United Taxidrivers Community Council.
Early Monday afternoon, a forensics team could be seen gathering evidence from the cab, which had been parked in the row of diagonal spaces behind the library. The plaza north of the library, including a Divvy station, was taped off by police.
Neighbors from nearby residences told DNAinfo they hadn't heard anything suspicious in the early morning hours.
Though the body was discovered near the busy intersection of Lincoln and Montrose avenues, employees at businesses in the area were also unaware of any criminal activity.
Officials with the firm named on the cab would not comment.
Police officers on the scene had no comment.
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