Chicago: Obama's America

4 killed, 10 wounded in 10 hours across city

Four people, including two 16-year-old boys, were killed and at least 10 people were wounded within 10 hours Thursday across the city, according to Chicago police.

Another person was killed early Friday, in the Logan Square neighborhood on the Northwest Side, bringing to seven the number of people shot to death as the month of August gets underway.

Thursday afternoon’s violence began when two people fired at three 16-year-old boys in the East Garfield Park neighborhood. Two of the boys tried to run away and collapsed in nearby yards. They were pronounced dead at the scene. The third boy survived.

Two gangs, the Four Corner Hustlers and Conservative Vice Lords, have been fighting each other in that area, authorities said.

• On Thursday night, someone shot two mechanics, both 52, inside a garage in the South Austin neighborhood, killing one of them, according to Chicago Police.

The shooting occurred in an alley between Lawler and Leclaire avenues south of Augusta about 9:30 p.m. Relatives and neighbors said the men were both mechanics, one of whom moved downstate a year ago but returned to help his family move.

One of the men ran toward the front of a home on Lawler and yelled for neighbors to call police, according to Lazario Singh, 32, who was sitting across the street when he heard gunfire. Singh said the wounded man then sat down on a front porch until police and ambulances arrived.

"It didn't sound like fireworks or shooting, it sounded like some wood smacking," Singh said. "It sounded like someone was hitting on some wood."

The man who died was shot in the head and leg and pronounced dead at Loyola Hospital. The other man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in fair-to-serious condition with a gunshot wound described as not life-threatening by a Fire Department spokeswoman. The dead man's identity was not being released, pending notification of his family.

• An hour later, a 31-year-old man suffering from several gunshot wounds was found in the 11200 block of South Langley Avenue in the Pullman neighborhood. He was pronounced dead at Roseland Community Hospital, police said.

Someone approached on foot, shot him and fled, according to police.

• A 20-year-old man was shot and wounded in the 9800 block of South Halsted Street in the Longwood Manor neighborhood about 10:15 p.m. Thursday, police said.

A gunman stepped out of his car and argued with the 20-year-old before shooting him, police said. A relative drove the man to Little Company of Mary Hospital but he was transferred to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where he was stable, police said.

• About 7 p.m., a 30-year-old man was shot in the 100 block of West Maxwell Street, about a block from University of Illinois at Chicago athletics facilities. The man was near the campus when he was shot in the ankle after exchanging “loud words” with people he didn’t know, police said. He was treated at Stroger Hospital.

• A 38-year-old man and his 15-year-old son were shot near the intersection of Kedzie and Chicago avenues about 6:15 p.m., police said. They were in a car when someone pulled up and opened fire, striking both in the arms. The two were taken to Stroger Hospital, police said.

• Two men, 19 and 20, were shot about 4:50 p.m. Thursday in the 6900 block of South Normal Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood. Police said the drive-by shooting was gang related.

The two were parking a car when a white SUV pulled up and opened fire, police said. The 19-year-old was shot in the right shoulder and the older man was shot in the right wrist and lower abdomen. The two ran to a nearby gangway and called police and were taken to Stroger hospital, police said.

• A 29-year-old man was shot in the Brighton Park neighborhood about 3:40 p.m., police said. He was standing in the 4400 block of South Maplewood Avenue when someone started running toward him with a pistol, police said. The man tried to run away but the gunman shot him and took off running.

He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious but stable condition, police said.

• A man taking out his garbage when two people approached and demanded money about 3 p.m. in the 4700 block of West Congress Parkway in the West Garfield Park neighborhood, police said. He was shot in the left arm and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition.

At least 25 people were shot the first two days of August, according to police. Eighteen were shot Thursday and seven on Wednesday, police said.