UKRAINIAN VILLAGE — Several shots were fired at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Wood Street in Ukrainian Village on Friday afternoon, according to startled witnesses.
"Middle of day on a very busy street," said John Chu, who lives on the 1800 block of West Chicago Avenue. Chu estimated he heard five shots fired.
Around 2:25 p.m., one of the bullets went through the window of Ankle and Foot Centers, 1810 W. Chicago Ave., and landed in the waiting room, according to Lupe Ortiz, the practice's manager.
"Nobody was hurt; it was just property damage. We are a little bit shaken up, of course," said Ortiz. "We are lucky Fridays are short days for us [and not as busy]. The window took the biggest hit."
Officer Michelle Tannehill, a Chicago Police spokeswoman, confirmed officers responded to a "call of shots" fired on that block.
Tannehill had no further information outside of saying that no one appeared to have been hurt as a result of the gunshots.
Jay Ortega, a Ukrainian Village resident, said he was walking down Wood Street headed toward Chicago Avenue when he heard "at least four" gunshots and saw a black Cadillac with tinted windows speeding down Wood Street.
"It's not the first time I've heard gunshots. First time during the day, though," Ortega said.
James McFarlane, co-owner of Deitch Pharmacy at 1800 W. Chicago Ave. said that he and several other witnesses who were in the pharmacy when they heard the shots and saw "a black newer model Cadillac" turning south on Wood Street off of Chicago Avenue.
"It's never come this close to us, in my 25 years here and my [business] partner has been here 40 years. Before they were just selling drugs, they weren't shooting like this in broad daylight. This is just craziness," McFarlane said.
Asked if Friday's gunshots have changed his opinion of the new neighborhood he'd just moved to this past April, Chu said, "To be honest, nothing's really changed. "
"I guess this has happened you know, quite early afternoon on a Friday, so it's not like you can plan for something like this. ... Not like someone who's drunk out at 4 o'clock in the morning. So, I don't know what to think of it really," he said.
Chu, however, might especially remember Friday's gunshots.
"It's my birthday today, so thank you, Chicago," Chu said.
Bullet went into waiting room at podiatrist 2:25 p.m. Friday, no one was hurt, worker says. Photo by Jay Ortega pic.twitter.com/88nITZU0no
— Alisa Hauser (@DNA_WPB) January 27, 2017
