Cops: Shooter posted odd socialmedia rants
Amanwhopolice CHICAGO— say killed three people and wounded four others during a series of shootings in and around Chicago posted nonsensical and expletive-laced videos in the days and hours leading up to the attacks.
Investigators on Sunday were trying to determine a motive for the Saturday afternoon attacks inwhich police say32-year-old JasonNightengale apparently chosehis victims at random. Police killed Nightengale in a shootout just north of the city about four hours after authorities say he shot his first victim in a South Side parking garage.
Those killed included a 30-year-old University of Chicago student fromChina named Yiran Fan, Anthony Faukner, 20, and Aisha Nevell, 46, a security guard. Wounded were a 77-yearold woman, an 81-year-old womananda 15-year-old girl, according to Chicago Police SuperintendentDavidBrown.
Another woman was shot in the neck in Evanston, police in the suburb said.
Authorities didn’t release many details about Nightengale, a Chicagomanwhose LinkedIn page listed work over the years as a janitor, security guard and forklift operator. But a series of disturbingvideospostedtoFacebook over two years under Nightengale’s middle name, Oliver, offered clues to his state of mind.
In one posted Thursday, Nightengale held a gun to the camera and muttered unintelligible statements as he appeared to be driving. A police official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed it was Nightengale.
“Nomusic. No. Nomusic,” Nightengale says inthe video, his speech slurred. “I don’t
need no seat belt. I’m coming, girl.”
He posted dozens of other short videos, including several in the hours before the first attack, whichwere viewable until the pagewas taken down Sunday. In one, he says, “I’m going to blow up the whole community.” In another, Nightengaleappears to groove to the Bee Gee’s “Staying Alive” while laughing.
The shootings began shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday with the killing of Fan, who was shot in the head while sitting in his car in a parking garage in the Hyde Park neighborhood, Brown said.
After that, Nightengale “just randomly” walked into an apartment building a block away, where he shot the female security guard and the 77-year-oldwoman, who was getting her mail, Brown said. The guard was pronounced dead at a hospital and the otherwomanwas in critical condition.
From there, Nightengale wenttoanothernearbybuildingandstoleacarfromaman he knew. He then opened fire at a convenience store, killing the 20-year-old man and wounding the 81-yearold woman in the head and neck. Thewomanwas incritical condition.
After leaving the store, Nightengale shot a 15-yearold girl who was riding in a car with her mother, leaving the girl in critical condition, police said. He then wentbacktotheconvenience storeandfiredonofficerswho were investigating the earlier shooting. Noneofthemwere injured, Brown said.
Nightengale then drove about 10 miles (16 kilometers) northtoEvanston, whichborders Chicago, where police respondedtoareportofshots that had been fired inside a
CVS. Nightengale had apparently walked into the pharmacy, announced that he was robbing it and fired off shots that didn’t hit anyone, authoritiessaid. Hethenwent across the street to an IHOP restaurant, where he shot a woman in the neck. Shewas in critical condition, Evanston police Chief Demitrous Cook told reporters.
Nightengale left the restaurant and was confronted by officers in a parking lot, leading to a shootout inwhich he was killed, Cook said.
Evanston police Sgt. Ken Carter said Nightengale appeared to have a connection to Evanston, but he did not have further details. He said Sunday that an outside agency would take over the investigation since Evanston police were involved in the fatal shooting.
Nightengale’s criminal record started in 2005 and included arrests for gun and drug violations, aggravated assault, and a 2019 domestic battery case, according to WLS-TV.