CHICAGO — Two toddlers were wounded in a shooting that also wounded two teenagers at a Brighton Park gas station late Tuesday, police said.
A 4-year-old boy was grazed by a bullet and a 3-year-old girl was grazed by glass after shots rang out near Hi-Lo gas station, 3541 S. California Ave., police said. The toddlers were in a car with a 17-year-old and 18-year-old man, police said.
At 10:47 p.m., the teens were filling up the car with gas when someone in a dark-colored SUV began firing, police said.
A worker at the gas station, Shabaz Usef, said the shooting happened as the car was pulling out onto the street. He pointed at a parked car that had front-end damage, saying the shooting victims hit the car as they drove away.
"It's horrible," Usef said. "Thank god they didn't" die, he said of the wounded children.
The 4-year-old boy was grazed in his left forearm and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was not released but police considered him to be stable. The 3-year-old was struck in her right cheek by flying glass and was also taken to Stroger in what police referred to as stable condition.
The 17-year-old was struck in his back and was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said. The 18-year-old was struck in his right hand and was brought to Stroger, where his condition was not released but police considered him to be stable.
4-year-old boy among 3 shot in Brighton Park; 3-year-old girl cut by glass: https://t.co/QfXhzXKvLo pic.twitter.com/EykeM8Hcku
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) November 23, 2016
No arrests have been made. The wounded teens both are documented gang members, according to a police source.
Andrew Holmes, a community activist, said the shooters are "very, very lucky these kids are still living."
"Hopefully with all of the cameras inside the gas station, the surveillance cameras can give an image of the perpetrators. Also, there's a city camera not less than 50 feet away from where this incident took place, so hopefully that can be helpful," Holmes told reporters on the scene, according to ABC7.
Usef said he did not have access to the security footage and is not sure what it captured. Despite the shooting and swarms of media vans for much of Wednesday morning, he said it was business as usual at the gas station.
"It sucks," he said. "Especially when kids are involved."
A man who lived down the street walked over to the gas station and asked Usef about the shooting. The first thing the man asked was, "is it gang related?"
The man, who asked not to be named, said gangs are prevalent in Brighton Park but said shootings aren't much of a concern in his daily life.
"I am a bit surprised this happened, actually," he said. "And with kids? It's crazy."
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here.
