A domestic dispute in Albany Park on Monday escalated when a man shot a 67-year-old woman and later a Chicago police SWAT officer. The incident unfolded while a dispatcher kept tabs on the situation through an open phone line, resulting in the man’s arrest.
Police were alerted to the incident shortly before 11 a.m. on the 4600 block of North Springfield Avenue. Upon arrival, they discovered a 62-year-old woman suffering from a gunshot wound to the face. She was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition, as reported by the authorities.
It was soon revealed that the shooter had barricaded himself in a nearby residence with a 13-year-old girl and his 42-year-old girlfriend, according to responding officers. An officer mentioned that the injured woman is likely the girlfriend’s mother.
Throughout the standoff, a Chicago 911 calltaker listened in on the apartment through an open phone line, conveying details to the officers on-site. At one point, the gunman was overheard instructing his hostages to find a bullet, anticipating police entry. The calltaker also reported hearing a woman crying and claiming she was bleeding severely. Additionally, one hostage was heard pleading with the shooter not to fire through the door and urging him to disarm.
“You guys use caution,” a dispatcher warned officers over their radios. “She’s begging him not to shoot through the door.”
Around 11:44 a.m., as the SWAT team attempted to enter the front door, the gunman fired through it, hitting a 45-year-old SWAT officer in the abdomen, according to CPD Interim Supt. Fred Waller.
The injured officer, a 20-year veteran, was rushed to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center for surgery, and his condition has stabilized, Waller confirmed.
The standoff persisted with the suspect briefly turning on the apartment’s natural gas and continuing to threaten the hostages. However, shortly after noon, he began to speak of surrender. Roughly an hour later, he surrendered and released the hostages.
The 42-year-old woman and the 13-year-old girl were transported to Stroger Hospital, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Charges are now pending against the shooter.
CPD released the following statement regarding the incident:
Preliminary Statement on Shooting of Chicago Police Department Office in the 4600 block of N. Springfield
CHICAGO – On July 20, 2026, at approximately 10:56 a.m., Chicago Police Department officers assigned to the 17th (Albany Park) District responded to a call of a person shot. Upon arrival, officers located a 67-year-old female victim who had been shot. She was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition. After shooting the victim, which is believed to be domestic in nature, the offender held two individuals at gunpoint inside his residence. SWAT officers responded to the scene. An officer assigned to SWAT was shot in the abdomen after responding to this incident. He was taken to a local hospital, where he underwent surgery and was stabilized. The SWAT incident concluded and the armed offender was taken into custody. The two hostages inside the residence were taken to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. A weapon was recovered on scene.
The Investigative Response Team is investigating the circumstances involving the incident. The investigation is ongoing.
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