Man Found Fatally Shot Near School Playground in Austin Neighborhood
Chicago Police are currently conducting a death investigation after a 66-year-old man was found fatally shot near a school playground in the Austin neighborhood on Monday night. The incident took place in the 1800 block of North Sayre, an area that was previously served by the city’s ShotSpotter gunfire detection network.
Authorities were alerted to the situation when a passerby discovered the man sitting unresponsive next to a tree. Upon arrival, first responders determined that he had sustained a gunshot wound to the head, with a firearm found at the scene.
According to reports, there had been no prior calls of shots fired in the vicinity leading up to the discovery of the victim. It remains unclear how long the man had been sitting outdoors before being found.
Alderman Chris Taliaferro, who represents the neighborhood, had been a strong advocate for maintaining the ShotSpotter technology in the area. Despite efforts from Taliaferro and other city officials, Mayor Brandon Johnson chose not to extend the agreement for ShotSpotter beyond its expiration in September.
About this Series
As of 12:01 a.m. on September 23, 2024, Chicago terminated its relationship with ShotSpotter, a gunfire detection system deployed in 12 of the city’s most violence-impacted neighborhoods.
Mayor Brandon Johnson stubbornly refused to reconsider his decision to dismantle ShotSpotter, despite pushback from aldermen, citizens, victim’s advocates, and law enforcement officials.
The “Brandon’s Bodies” reporting series aims to highlight cases of shooting victims and police investigations that could have potentially benefited from gunshot detection technology like ShotSpotter.
The criteria for inclusion in this series are instances of gunshot victims found outdoors in areas previously covered by ShotSpotter, with either a lack of 911 calls reporting gunfire or delayed response to such calls.
Tim Hecke is CWBChicago’s managing partner. With a background in radio news and content services, Tim has been leading CWBChicago since 2019. For inquiries, you can reach him at tim@cwbchicago.com.
