CHICAGO — A tragic incident unfolded when a man was discovered lying in the intersection at 100th Street and Indianapolis Avenue overnight. Initially mistaken for a hit-and-run victim, it was later revealed that he had actually been fatally shot, with his car found parked on the Skyway.
No reports of gunfire in the area were made to 911, despite the location being a former ShotSpotter monitoring zone.
Chicago police responded to the scene around 1:34 a.m. and found the victim, a 36-year-old man, unresponsive in the street. He had sustained gunshot wounds and other injuries, ultimately succumbing to his wounds at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Suspiciously, around the same time, a motorist reported a stalled sedan near Indianapolis Boulevard on the outbound Skyway, registered to the victim. However, no one was present with the vehicle when officers arrived.
Ald. Peter Chico, representing the East Side neighborhood where the incident occurred, had been a proponent of maintaining the ShotSpotter service in the city. Despite efforts by the City Council to retain it, Mayor Brandon Johnson unilaterally terminated the gunfire detection network on September 23.
About this series
Following the termination of Chicago’s ShotSpotter system on September 23, 2024, this reporting series, “Brandon’s Bodies,” aims to highlight cases where gunshot detection technology could have aided in investigations.
Despite widespread support for ShotSpotter’s continuation, Mayor Brandon Johnson stood firm on his decision to dismantle the network, disregarding the pleas of aldermen, citizens, and law enforcement officials.
This series focuses on instances of shooting victims found outdoors in previously monitored areas, with either no corresponding 911 calls or delayed responses to reported gunfire.
