A 65-Year-Old Man Found Shot and Seeking Help on West Side Street
During the late hours on the West Side, a 65-year-old man was discovered yelling and waving for help on a street, only to reveal that he had suffered from a gunshot wound. The incident occurred near Hamlin and Independence, and the exact time of the shooting remains unclear as no one reported the gunfire due to the disconnection of the city’s ShotSpotter network by Mayor Brandon Johnson in September.
The victim recounted to the police that he was walking when he heard gunshots, realizing that he had been shot in the right ankle around 3:06 a.m. The man fell to the ground in the 100 block of South Hamlin, where he desperately called out for assistance. He was subsequently taken to Stroger Hospital and is reported to be in good condition.
Ald. Jason Ervin (28th) represents the East Garfield Park neighborhood where the shooting occurred. Ervin was among the minority in the City Council who supported Mayor Johnson’s decision to terminate the contract with the ShotSpotter system. Despite the majority support from the police superintendent, City Council, and Chicago residents to retain the technology, Mayor Johnson remained firm in his decision.
The Discontinuation of ShotSpotter in Chicago
On September 23, 2024, Chicago officially ended its association with ShotSpotter, a gunfire detection system utilized in the city’s most violence-affected areas. Despite widespread support for maintaining the technology, Mayor Brandon Johnson persisted in dismantling ShotSpotter, disregarding the pleas from aldermen, citizens, victim advocates, and law enforcement officials.
This series, titled “Brandon’s Bodies,” aims to highlight incidents of shooting victims and police investigations that could have benefited from gunshot detection technology like ShotSpotter. The inclusion criteria involve gunshot victims found outdoors in areas previously covered by ShotSpotter, either with no 911 calls regarding gunfire or delayed responses to reported gunfire.
