FUNERAL GUNFIRE
14 shot and ‘bodies everywhere’ in Chi
Fourteen people were wounded in a barrage of gunfire at a Chicago funeral Tuesday.
At least 60 shell casings were recovered from the scene at 79th and Carpenter streets in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood on the South Side, where the exchange of bullets erupted shortly before 7:30 p.m., police said.
“All we saw was just bodies laying everywhere,” witness Arnita Geder told WMAQ-TV. “Shot up everywhere, all over. Legs, stomach, back, all over the place. We thought it was a war out there.”
Geder, who was watching television in her home when she heard the gunshots, said residents are sick of the violence.
“It’s ridiculous all the shooting that’s going on out here — it really has to stop,” a fed-up Geder told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Another witness, Kenneth Hughes, told WMAQ that everyone who was shot at the funeral appeared to be wearing white.
The shootout started when riders in a black car that drove by the funeral home targeted mourners outside, several of whom returned fire, Chicago PD First Deputy Superintendent Eric Carter said.
“At which time, the vehicle midway down the block crashed and came to a halt,” said.
“The occupants of the vehicle then exited in multiple directions and fled. We currently have a person of interest being interviewed by our detective in the area.”
“There are 14 victims being treated at five area hospitals. Conditions are unknown at this time.”
All of the victims were adults, he said.
Police said it was not clear if the shooting was gang-related and did not release details of the funeral. Carter, though, did say that a police car was stationed outside the funeral home as a precaution.
And Fox News reported that the funeral service was for a man who was shot last week.
“Currently, the detectives will be conducting a canvass for the rest of this evening and early tomorrow,” he added.
“We are hoping that the community — if you have any video or anybody that knows anything — will help detectives in their canvass and offer any information that will help solve this crime.”
The shooting comes as the Windy City continues to be plagued by a rash of gunplay.
Police said 25 people were shot there on Monday, four of them fatally. That followed a weekend that saw 63 shooting victims and 12 people killed by gunfire.
The uptick in violence comes as President Trump threatens to send federal agents to several violence-wracked US cities led by Democratic mayors, including Chicago and New York.
Legs, stomach, back, all over the place. We thought it was a war out there. — Witness Arnita Geder