BACK OF THE YARDS — Outside a day care where preschoolers were fast asleep during nap time, three men and one teen in a car were shot, police said.
The shooting happened in front of the Computer Preschool Academy just before 2 p.m. Wednesday in the 5400 block of South Loomis Avenue, where a stray bullet left a hole in one of the preschool's windows.
The carful of victims was driven by a 24-year-old man. His passengers were two 20-year-old men and a 16-year-old boy, according to Chicago Police spokeswoman Michelle Tannehill.
Here's a bullet hole in the front door of the daycare center by Sherman Park. pic.twitter.com/V35fRzxDYy
— Evan F. Moore (@evanFmoore) March 23, 2016
Rolling by the preschool, a man in another car pulled out a gun and opened fire on the car.
Every person in the car was shot, police said.
The driver was shot in the hand. One of the 20-year-olds was shot in the wrist, and the other was shot in the chest. The teen took bullets in both arms.
The driver was able to drive the car to Holy Cross Hospital.
Two of the wounded men are gang members, police said.
Shamika Crawford got a call about the shooting while she was at work. Her kids were at the day care's after-school program.
“I didn't know exactly what was going on, so I ran over here,” Crawford said. “This is more of a reason to get out of Chicago. It is getting worse and worse.”
There was a shooting by a daycare center at the corner of 55th/Loomis this afternoon. Update soon. pic.twitter.com/xkxPzsP8o7
— Evan F. Moore (@evanFmoore) March 23, 2016
Lloyd Anderson was walking out the day care center with his brother when he heard the shots and saw a car speed off.
"Me and my brother ran back inside,” Anderson said. “I called my aunt to come to get us.”
While the shooting startled many households in the neighborhood, some local residents said this kind of violence is nothing new.
“It is what it is," said Ken Richard, who lives near the day care center. "There's a stranglehold on our people, and this is what you got. Drugs and violence. That's it.
"This is every day for me,” Richard said.
The shooting happened a block away from a Metropolitan Services' Learning and Wellness Center. After the shooting, a 36-year-old day care teacher from the school walked down the block to see what happened.
"They need martial law out here," said the woman, who did not want to be named, fearing gang retaliation. "I know police can't be everywhere, but this has gone to its limit."
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