CHICAGO – Two people were shot in downtown Chicago late Friday afternoon.
Chicago police said the shooting happened just before 4:45 p.m. in the 100 block of E. Chicago Avenue on the city’s Near North Side.
The suspect reportedly approached the two victims, pulled out a handgun, and shot at them as dozens of people were walking by. The victims, identified as a 16-year-old boy and a 23-year-old man, were both hit in the arm and taken to Northwestern Hospital in good condition, according to investigators.
Police said a person of interest has been taken in for questioning and that a gun was also found at the crime scene.
WGN arrived at the scene and spoke with people who said they heard at least five gunshots fired near the intersection of Chicago and Wabash Avenue.
Other witnesses said they were walking home when they heard what they thought was a car backfiring, but they soon realized they were wearing gunshots. That’s when people started running in all directions.
“It was like a moment it’s just a car backfiring, what’s happening? And we saw people run towards us,” said Mairead Levitt who lives nearby.
“We’re coming back from the red line and as soon as we walk right up the stairs, we heard five gunshots,” added Isabel Wheat who was walking nearby. “We saw people run towards us, and so we started to run away.”
The intersection of Chicago and Wabash Avenue were closed for a few hours while police continued their investigation.
No other information was released.