Via Chicago Breaking News:...Two minutes later,on the North Side, a 41-year-old man was wounded in the city's Uptown neighborhood, police said.
Officers responded to the 4900 block of North Sheridan Road and found the victim with a gunshot wound to his arm, said Police News Affairs Officer Ron Gaines. Preliminary reports said the man was sitting on his porch when he was shot.
The man was taken in good condition to Weiss Memorial Hospital, Gaines said.
This is getting so bad.I worry when the kids all start school next week how many might get shot by stray bullets.Maybe police offering rewards for turning in these guys who are shooting will bring some out to even rat on each other.This is so scary.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThere always will be numerous shootings as it just part of city life in Chicago. All across the city it is bad this year. Uptown has seen their share this year and just be glad you don`t live on the West or Far South side as they have 10 times as many every day and night.
ReplyDelete@ AL - You mentioned all the things you would like to see readers NOT do.
ReplyDeletePlease advise on the offensive actionable items you propose or would like to see people doing more of?
I disagree that calling 911 is a defensive action, but otherwise, yes, we do a lot of bitching here that does not get at the root of the problem.
I think a lot of people avoid saying what they really want to for fear of being labeled a NIMBY or other reasons.
Your right Al, lets all just give up. Next time I witness something I WONT call the Police, or try to do anything positive, or take any measures to make sure my wife, and child are safer. I'll just sit back and let everybody know how pathetic they are for even trying. Or, I could go on the offensive (since being defensive is so pathetic), and help perpetuate the cycle of violence.
ReplyDeleteOr third, I will do what I can in my very limited power to help, even if it's in a small (pathetic...to you) way.
If you ask me, your post was the MOST PATHETIC posting I have ever seen on UU.
When you are so willing to just sit back and accept something like this that you seem to be quite bothered by, then YOU are the pathetic one.
Concentrated poverty.
ReplyDeleteIts not good.
Alot of old hotels need
to be emptied out
and redone.
I think it will be a domino effect. Its hard to start though because it requires big bucks. But I think it will happen eventually. Because Uptown has the location. We dont really have much other lakefront neigborhoods to fix up and living by the lake is more desireable. Its cooler, you are by the beach, quick drive to downtown by Lake shore drive and the El line. All things that Uptown has that further west hoods dont.
Problem is that takes a whole lot of money.
But we do need new hotels and condos eventually. I would love to see something like Lawrence House taken over by a chain hotel or independent operator.
I think people would like to stay in Uptown to see a show or go to the greenmill etc. Eventually.
Any idea of this man was targeted or was this just another one of Uptown's dead eye shooters sending stray bullets every which way?
ReplyDelete@Stashi I don't live in or near Uptown. However, I can't understand what is happening when people are accused of being NIMBY about . . . shootings. I think the whole world is NIMBY about shootings! I certainly am. No doubt about it. If there are going to be shootings I want them as NIMBY as possible. Furthermore, if Section 8 housing brings the shooting, I am proudly NIMBY for that too.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't a dorm room game of who is the most P.C. This is where my family lives. Anyone who is threatening my family is in my NIMBY zone.
A (slight) side note: Weis says the police are going to get tough on gangs. He made the statement at a Hill Street Blues-type summit with gang leaders:
ReplyDeleteWeis gang summit
Not sure if this will work since most of them say it's not their fault.
David - I could not have said it better myself.
ReplyDeleteThere is a difference between being NIMBY about people who are different from you and being NIMBY on downright criminals...
SORRY FOR THE CAPS..
ReplyDeleteI THINK GOING AFTER THE LANDLORDS HOUSING THESE THUGS IS THE START. CHA HAS RULES, THOSE HOUSING THESE THUGS WHO ARE NOT LISTED ON THE LEASE ARE COMMITTING FRUAD AGAINST THE CHA/SEC8 AND CAN BE THROWN OUT, EVEN THE LESSEE. BOMBARDING THE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES WITH COMPLAINTS ABOUT THEIR RESIDENTS IS THE KEY AND THE START OF GETTING THESE THUGS OFF OUR STREETS. I WAS AT THE THORNDALE SAFETY TASK FORCE MEETING THURSDAY NIGHT, ALONG WITH ABOUT 100+ OTHER RESIDENTS AND ONE RESIDENT WAS TOLD BY A GANG MEMBER THAT "WE OWN THE STREETS" PLUS, A GANG LEADER WAS IN THE MEETING AT THE BACK OF THE ROOM, TAKING NOTES I'M SURE. BANDING TOGETHER TO SHOW THEM WHO REALLY OWNS THE STREETS, REPORTING BAD LANDLORDS, STOPPING THE TROUBLE BEFORE IT STARTS BY CALLING 911 ALONG WITH MANY OTHER ACTIONS, LETS THESE THUGS KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO LET THEM "OWN THE STREETS". I WILL NOT LET THEM INSTILL FEAR IN ME. KODO'S TO THE RESIDENTS OF UPTOWN AND EDGEWATER FOR TAKING A STAND.
First off, you should call 911 but that's not always guranteed to get a response. I've called many times for crackheads smoking in the alley but never saw one cop.
ReplyDeleteOldmanuptown - you sound like a cranky old man who's probably fed up with the garbage that goes on. Let me ask you...how many times do you walk down the street (or drive) and you get the death stare from the thugs on the street? I'm sure you look away...I stare back and give them a thumbs up and smile. How many times do you witness a drug deal and hurry away and call 911? I yell at them to get a life and then I call 911.
Why should I change the way I live my life out of fear for where I live? I understand people don't like confrontation, but maybe some of us do. If someone asks for money, I tell them to get a job (frankly that seems to be a common theme with many folks in Uptown)!
I won't be intimidated for living in Uptown...will you?
Go to Second City Cop and read what the cops think about the Weis Gang summit.
ReplyDeleteSummary: It's a joke and CPD is violating the gang bangers constitutional rights.
Obviously people get worried about being hit with stray bullets, but has anyone in Uptown ever been hit with a stray bullet? Just wondering...
ReplyDeleteThanks for clarifying, Al. I thought you were saying that we should not call 911 or step up in your first post.
ReplyDeleteI look these bangers in the face every time I see them. I also slow down if I think they are doing something wrong, instead of speeding up. I will also ask them what they are doing in front of MY house. I tell them to move it along if they haven't got the hint after I have stopped. And yes, I call 911 too.
The bangers do not like being "seen" so it helps to look at them. Failing to look at them only empowers them. Take back our neighborhood.
Cousin Richie asked "has anyone in Uptown ever been hit with a stray bullet?"
ReplyDeleteWell, there was the mom who was shot in the leg at Wilson and Broadway this summer, the one who was waiting for the bus with her baby in her arms.
Or the woman who had just moved here a week or so ago, who was shot in the back at (wait for it) Wilson and Broadway on Christmas Day of 2008.
Those are just the ones that come to mind. I'm sure there are more.
Al - I'm with you. I take the offensive almost every opportunity I get. I see someone smoking crack in front of my building or in my ally, I call 911, give a full description and hope that a squad car shows up within 10-15 minutes. If I don't see a car in that time I take care of it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I see drug deals happening on my street in plain view of my neighbors and their kids, I glare at them to let them know that they are being watched and then call 911 with a full description of the suspects, what direction they were heading, and where the drugs are. I've even followed some of them while on the phone with 911 to keep their location known.
When I see drunks throwing their bottles and cans on the ground, I yell at them until they pick it up. Same goes for most everything else, people urinating in the alley's or on streets, people talking/yelling at 110 decibels at 10 o'clock at night cursing with every other word, etc etc..all the usual Uptown annoyances...I have NO tolerance. I don't live in fear, I want them to, I respect this neighborhood and the hard working people in it. If more people took more offensive stances on all these problems, I GUARANTEE you that we would all see less of them.
If anyone can't muster up the guts to take a stand for your own neighborhood, at least come out to positive loitering and CAPS meetings. Your presence will tell your neighbors that you can at least get out of the house for an hour to help your community. If you can't even do that, stop posting on this blog, we're tired of your whining.
-offensive stances are almost never posted here, we're all expected to be more passive I suppose. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
but has anyone in Uptown ever been hit with a stray bullet?
ReplyDeleteYep, yep
and, yep
I stare back and give them a thumbs up and smile
ReplyDeletebtw - that's awesome.
Truman Square Neighbor: Don't forget the Truman College student who was shot and killed at Broadway and Wilson not too long ago...
ReplyDeleteBTW, we're pretty certain there were gun shots near Malden & Montrose on Sunday morning at 4am. Woke me and my neighbors up...
Al- thanks for the reply. Turns out im with you. I am all about letting people know how I feel about their behavior. I am not actually an old man, but I do often act like one. I am indeed very cranky, and very upset by what is going on in the neighborhood, and dont like these morons thinking nobody will do anything. I'm with you on what you said in your second post--all the way.
ReplyDeleteCousin Richie,
ReplyDeleteSadly, last year there was a young man from Ghana who was attending Truman college who was hit and killed by a stray bullet while walking to the El, near Broadway and Wilson. This is a real and legitimate concern.
Dan
CTA, it’s not the Weis gang summit. It’s the Chicago Gang Violence Reduction Initiative, which is a collaboration across state and federal law enforcement. It's been pretty effective in Philly and Boston, where it was credited with reducing violent crime by 2/3.
ReplyDeleteNothing unconstitutional about nabbing gangbangers on racketeering charges. The reason it works? There’s little to no wiggle room with federal charges. If you're in the federal system, you're doing a full stint.
@Sneki and others -
ReplyDeleteRelated, I too was awaken by the VERY LOUD booms on Sunday at 4 am too all the way over near Lawrence and Malden. I know gunshots are loud, but that would have had to have been one hell of a weapon.
Does anyone know what that was? I did not hear any police cars or see any evidence that anything was going on.
It is sad that everyone just sort of expected it was Gunshots in this neighborhood.
Also, does anyone have any information about that man that was shot "on his porch" so late at night at 4900 Sheridan?
Sneki,et al
ReplyDeleteWe too heard the gunshots on Sunday morning and called 911, but could not get through. It just rang and rang. I'm not sure if the cops came or not. It was near Malden and Montrose. Not able to see cops.
you guys are right about
ReplyDeletenot letting the gangs intimidate you.
i dont let them intimidate me.
they try the evil eye.
but if you look them in the eye and are friendly it wont work.
on my corner in rogers park,
these guys show up sometimes like its their shift at work.
they drive park and then commence work. hilarious.
well they arent running my corner.
if you are consistent and persistent it will pay off.
but you will probably have to deal with different crews in the same gang. its amazing how many different crews have been through my neck of the woods in rogers park. one crew will give up or just shift somewhere else and another will show up and give it a try and then eventually they will peter out or taper off a bit but still make appearances.
The loud explosians Sunday AM were fireworks. They woke us up; I saw them.
ReplyDeleteIt seems money is available for surveilence cameras. See http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/2002985,CST-NWS-ald21web.article
ReplyDeleteMore gunshots this morning Tuesday, 4am. Called 911, cops came promptly.
ReplyDelete@Bradley - Thanks for the first hand info on Sunday's fireworks. They were loud, so you had to wonder...
ReplyDeleteThey were indeed, they were professional type percussion accompanied by more traditional. It really was quite the show albeit, thankfully, brief.
ReplyDeleteRe: the fireworks at 4:00 AM Sunday; they appear to have woken a pretty wide swath of Uptown, Lakeview, and North Center
ReplyDeletehttp://chicago.everyblock.com/announcements/by-date/2010/8/29/3354377/#comment3361819
Sneki
ReplyDeleteTheir was what sounded like gunshots @4 a.m. Sunday morning, I was surprised UU didn't post anything as their were many many shots fired. I called 911 and didn't see police for 15 min. so I figured I was probably the only one who called because of the extremely weak response 1 SUV 15min. later cruising area.
I also want to pipe in on how incredibly sick and tired I am of 911 call takers un willingness to do their jobs and ask proper questions. I believe OEMC is a HUGE weak link in the fight against crime. And I hope FRUSTRATED 50/UU will post further on this to educate what's truly important for you to GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO TELL the often very lazy 911 call takers.
The "shots" at 4am on Sunday have been confirmed repeatedly (and just above your comment UptownPits) as fireworks. We didn't post anything about it because it was discussed repeatedly on several posts.
ReplyDeleteUP---the call takers at 911 are highly trained professionals who ask questions so they can pass important information along to the police. There seems to be a huge disconnect between those who know how to place a call to 911 and get an effective response and those who don't. It took me a while to understand the process but once I did, it helped me become a better witness.
ReplyDeleteI understand that when you are calling 911 it is often an emotional or stressful time. You may not understand why they are asking detailed questions but they are doing it for a reason. I've taken several tours of the OEMC and it is a world class facility. I've listened to several employees of the OEMC as they have explained the process. Unfortunately, they no longer offer tours for security reasons.
I'd suggest that you may want to contact a neighbor who has more experience with calling 911 and ask for their suggestions.