With 3 Mass Shootings In 4 Days On West Side, Community Leaders Hold Peace Walk And Talk With Neighbors About Crisis – CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) — Three mass shootings transpired over a interval of 4 days just lately on the town’s West Aspect – leaving two youngsters lifeless and 13 different individuals injured after gunshots rang out in North Lawndale and Austin.

As CBS 2’s Jackie Kostek reported Sunday, neighborhood members say the violence doesn’t sit nicely with them.

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Two of the mass shootings occurred inside minutes and block so one another Wednesday night. The first happened near Douglas Boulevard and Christiana Avenue round 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

A complete of 5 individuals have been wounded within the assault. One among them, 14-year-old Damarion Benson, died quickly afterward, and one other 16-year-old Davion Wright, died on Friday.

Three different victims – two 24-year-old males and a 22-year-old man – have been taken to Mount Sinai Hospital. One of many 24-year-olld males was shot within the left shin and the opposite in the proper hip, whereas the 22-year-old man was shot within the left foot. Their circumstances have been all stabilized.

A second taking pictures occurred 5 minutes later at Douglas Boulevard and Ridgeway Avenue. 5 extra individuals have been shot there.

A sport-utility car was left flipped over in the course of the road within the aftermath.

Police stated in that incident at 6:11 p.m., a 15-year-old boy was shot in the proper leg, a 17-year-old boy suffered a graze wound to the again, a 14-year-old boy was shot in the proper arm, and a 22-year-old man was shot in the proper thigh. These 4 victims have been all reported in good situation – the primary two have been taken to Stroger Hospital of Prepare dinner County, the opposite two to Mount Sinai Hospital.

The fifth sufferer, an 18-year-old man, was shot within the higher physique and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in essential situation.

Early on Sunday morning, there was another mass shooting – this time in South Austin – by which 5 individuals have been additionally struck.

The Sunday morning taking pictures passed off at 12:29 a.m. within the 4800 block of West Race Avenue. The boys – ages 23, 30, 36, 48, and 50 have been all shot a number of instances within the decrease extremities and have been taken to Stroger Hospital of Prepare dinner County and Mount Sinai Hospital, the place their circumstances have been stabilized.

Kostek spoke to the pastor of a church in North Lawndale Sunday, who stated she really witnessed one of many mass shootings in North Lawndale early Wednesday night.

She was gardening on the time. She stood up and says she was in whole shock at what she was witnessing.

“Initially I heard the pictures, and I simply form of turned to the left slightly, and I noticed gunfire going backwards and forwards,” stated the Rev. Reshorna Fitzpatrick.

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Fitzpatrick is the chief pastor of the historic Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church at 3622 W. Douglas Blvd. She stated she was witnessing felt like an unrealistic actuality.

“I felt like I used to be proper in the course of a Western,” Fitzpatrick stated.

Fitzpatrick doesn’t understand how lengthy the taking pictures lasted or what number of pictures have been fired – simply how she felt within the moments after.

“I turned heartbroken,” she stated. “I turned slightly emotional, and I simply began to wish.”

She started to wish and stroll. As police rolled up, Fitzpatrick says she went on her personal peace stroll – hoping to stave off the trauma of one other taking pictures.

Fitzpatrick grew up only a couple blocks away. On Saturday, she walked alongside CPD officers, aldermen, and different neighborhood leaders in a bigger peace stroll.

She stated it was a time to interact with neighbors and have conversations about options.

“‘Hello, how can we assist you to, is there that something we will do?’ And it seems to be like, ‘Yeah, we want the violence to cease,’” Fitzpatrick stated.

LaShon Washington is 14 years previous, about to start his freshman yr of highschool. He stated the violence in his neighborhood feels inevitable.

“I really feel prefer it’s going to be round perpetually,” he stated, “however on the finish of the day, we have to cease it.”

However Washington stated for any peace to final, it may’t simply be law enforcement officials marching.

“It’s acquired to be like an entire neighborhood coming collectively, having a protest about how we have to cease the killing,” he stated.

Fitzpatrick stated she understands there are boundaries that many younger individuals consider will stop them from getting jobs or different alternatives – whether or not or not it’s having a report or not having the proper ID to use.

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She stated there are assets out there. She factors to the North Lawndale Employment Network as a very good place to begin.