CHICAGO — One man was killed and six men were wounded late Saturday night when a shooting erupted during a prayer vigil in the Little Village neighborhood on the city’s Southwest Side.
According to Chicago police, a prayer vigil was being held in the front yard of a residence in the 2500 block of South Spaulding Avenue when, just after 10 p.m. Saturday, a jeep stopped on the street and someone exited and started firing multiple shots.
A 31-year-old man was shot multiple times in the body, police say, and was pronounced dead at an area hospital shortly after he was taken there in critical condition.
Six other men were also shot, according to police. They were all listed in fair condition.
According to police, a 31-year-old man was shot in the right thigh, a 51-year-old man was shot in the right buttocks, a 35-year-old man sustained a graze wound to the top of the head, a 39-year-old man was shot in the left leg and right hand, a 48-year-old man was shot in the right calf, and a man listed in his 30s was shot in the left leg, shoulder and hand.
Police say nobody is in custody, and Area Four detectives are investigating.
The shooting comes as the ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology is set to go dark in Chicago late Sunday. Police did not say whether a ShotSpotter alert prompted an officer response to Little Village late Saturday night, but one community leader implored city residents to take action when they hear gunshots.
“I want to make a plea to people now: If ShotSpotter is no longer active, it’s extra important that you call 911,” Pastor Donovan Price said. “Sometimes you get used to hearing gunshots in the community, and you don’t call.
“You almost become oblivious to it.”