A man was shot and killed late Tuesday night in an Archer Heights alley, remaining undiscovered for approximately thirty minutes due to the absence of 911 calls reporting the incident. This particular alley had previously been under surveillance from the ShotSpotter gunfire detection system until Mayor Brandon Johnson terminated Chicago’s contract with the provider in September 2023.
The victim, aged 28, was located shortly after 11:30 p.m. behind the first block of West 44th Street. A 911 caller indicated hearing gunshots around 11:02 p.m. but did not seek assistance until about half an hour later, when they noticed a man lying on the ground, bleeding. Upon their arrival, law enforcement discovered the victim deceased, positioned next to a Lime scooter, along with a single shell casing, according to initial reports. Authorities have not disclosed any information regarding a suspect or the potential motive behind the shooting.
The ShotSpotter technology is designed to alert police immediately about gunfire incidents and provide precise locations of such events, even in situations where residents fail to call 911.
This shooting took place in the 14th Ward, represented by Ald. Jeylu Gutierrez. Notably, she was among 36 City Council members who voted last year to keep the ShotSpotter system operational. However, despite this support, Mayor Johnson chose not to renew the contract, allowing the service to expire on September 23, 2023.
About this series
At 12:01 a.m. on September 23, 2024, the city of Chicago officially ceased its use of the ShotSpotter system, which had been operational in the city’s most violence-affected areas. This technology was crucial for law enforcement, offering timely alerts related to gunfire incidents, often pinpointing exact addresses or specific locations such as alleyways, sidewalks, and gangways.
Mayor Brandon Johnson proceeded with the discontinuation despite requests from numerous aldermen, residents, advocates for victims, and even his own police superintendent, all of whom urged for the system to remain active.
On this platform, CWBChicago monitors incidents where individuals have been discovered shot in regions that were once serviced by ShotSpotter—circumstances where the system could have significantly aided in ensuring a quicker police response, particularly when no 911 calls were made or when callers provided vague descriptions of the shooting locations.
Editor’s note: A case that was previously numbered #13 has been removed as of May 21, 2025, after the Cook County Medical Examiner determined the individual died by suicide due to injuries sustained from a fall.
Tim Hecke is the managing partner of CWBChicago. He began his career at KMOX, the renowned news radio station in St. Louis, and then proceeded to work at stations in Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York City. Tim later developed syndicated radio news and content services for all of America’s top 100 radio markets. He has served as CWBChicago’s managing partner since 2019.
His email address is tim@cwbchicago.com
