Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Shots Fired Late Monday In Clarendon Park Area

It must be something in the air.  Maybe "spring forward" is a gang sign for "go insane."  In any case, the gang fools in Uptown managed to rumble three times on Monday.  Spring fever?  Whatever the cause, it's happening and it isn't good.

We've gotten quite a few messages that shots were fired just around 10pm on Monday night.  We don't know exactly where, because reports came to us from Agatite & Hazel; Montrose & Hazel; and Eastwood & Clarendon.  A reader reports that police SUVs and squad cars were combing the alleys between Sunnyside and Agatite, and many squad cars were patrolling on Hazel.

Please call 911 if you hear anything, and even if you see something suspicious.  The cops have been quick to respond and need the help of the residents in knowing where the hot spots are.  We also urge you to attend CAPS to hear from the police and find out what the latest developments.  All CAPS meetings are listed on the sidebar to the right.

The meeting for Beat 2312 (bordered by the lake, Wilson, Broadway, and Lawrence) is tonight, 7pm, at the Sheridan Plaza apartments, at the corner of Sheridan and Wilson.

15 comments:

  1. I heard them, not the first time I've heard gun shots; however, this was the first time I heard anything like this. Normally, it can be two, six or even eight shots. Usually they come in quick succession. This sounded more like poorly timed fireworks. There could have been twenty shots, from different weapons at different locations/distances. Sounded like an all out firefight. I was shocked at the quantity and duration. I literally stopped and peered out my Hazel window, waiting for some sort of confirmation on what the heck was going on. After logging on to UU and checking 'recent events' and seeing many marked and unmarked police vehicles, my fears were confirmed. Our new alderman cannot come soon enough. I really, really hope this is not signs of a summer to come...

    Signed,
    A worried resident who's feeling helpless in Uptown.

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  2. Stupid Suggestion:

    Undercover cops walking our streets could stop this. Like one reader said in an earlier post "The police do a good job responding". Why not be proactive rather than just responding?

    The average citizens of this ward can see when something is about to go down. I have to think some undercover cops could make some serious arrests pretty quickly.

    The politics of being short staffed will get thrown around here, but I would ask why new tactics aren't being tried. Whatever is being done currently is NOT working.

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  3. I reported these shots to UU and the police. It certainly wasn't like any other shooting I've heard around these parts. Two loud shots (like a shotgun or a magnum) followed by at least a dozen shots, which were trailing off as they happened, as if the shooter was running or driving away. UptownUnity isn't exaggerating when he/she says it sounded like an all out firefight. Police combed the alleys between agatite and sunnyside but did not come up with anything. Still don't know where they came from.

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  4. We should add a bonafide SHOTS FIRED counter to Uptown Update, and share our counts with Police. Perhaps we report by sub-neighborhood (and let's not get too scientific here).

    This way, when the police drive around a bit and "code it out" because they don't see anything, we can still have a more accurate account of what is being tolerated/happening in OUR community.

    Part of me hates that we make all this information available in general...Just think if you were a potential buyer in Uptown and a friend tipped you off to this blog. Might make you think 2x and low ball your offer or walk away completely.

    An imbalance of buyers vs. sellers are bad for orderly markets, including our little Uptown real estate market. (Hopefully, it is a decrease in buyers in Uptown that is putting pressure on the gangs' drug markets and making sellers consider exiting).

    But as long as we keep things positive and show each other and legitimate outside partner investors that open is OPEN FOR LIGIT BUSINESS, we absolutely win here.

    A frank discussion about economics and free markets has to be part of the crime solution. NO, this does not mean price hardworking people out of Uptown, but it does mean improving socially productive markets and disrupting those that destroy our community.

    As an economist, I would be happy to discuss with either candidate.

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  5. heard shots around 10pm It sounded like bad fireworks. There were numerous shots. it sounded like it was in the area of hazel sound of wilson.

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  6. I am on Hazel & Sunnyside. I heard it and quickly went to the window while grabbing my phone.
    Like many...thought what the hell is that?!?!
    Of course my initial reaction was gunfire. From my vantage point though it seemed more like fireworks. I saw some smoke in the air east of Hazel. A light puff floating up. Guns don't smoke like that.
    I don't know if it was confirmed gunshots or not...but again the smoke to me looked like fireworks.

    I am not someone who tries to deny the seriousness of the state of the hood. I have been here almost 15 years and the past few years it has been worse than when I first moved in!

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  7. Has there been any response at all from either Phelan or Cappleman about the Clarendon Park shootings? Or the ones in front of Truman College? Any statements about what the response should be? Inquiring minds want to know.

    It's interesting, by the way, that Truman College lets open drug dealing and gang loitering to take place in front of the main building (now that the neighborhood has paid for all the lovely new sidewalks, planters, new trees--oops, no new trees to replace the clear-cutting from last fall--and other top-of-the-line amenities, why SHOULDN'T the gang bangers get to enjoy the new surroundings?)...and while they have no problems with the criminal enterprises going on at their front door, Truman plunked down that Ayers Rock of a new building and parking deck to isolate the neighborhood south and west of them from Wilson Yard and the Wilson El stop. They still can't figure out how to connect the neighborhood without being a wall...and they think that letting neighbors walk through the new building as a shortcut is a bigger threat than the gangbangers at their front doors, apparently.

    Anyone hear anything about how Phelan and Cappleman intend to get Truman to be part-and-parcel of the neighborhood instead of being an isolated island of sheer cliffs in the middle of the neighborhood?

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  8. I heard it, and from the way the kids were running around out on Hazel it was fireworks, not gun fire. If that was gun fire, the police would have shut down Hazel, and been looking for shells, if that was gun fire, that would have been total insanity. It was fireworks, like those rapid firecrackers that constantly are popping all summer. I think I saw the police drive through, but quickly pasted by.

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  9. I heard 'em too. A few isolated shots followed by a dozen or so shots in rapid succession. I had just left Target and was crossing Broadway at Sunnyside. Sounded relatively distant- like over towards the lake. Could have been fireworks, but it definitely sounded like gunshots. It would be interesting to wander over towards Clarendon Park today and see if there's any evidence left behind such as burned out firecrackers or fireworks packaging.

    I swear, this neighborhood is turning into the OK Corral...

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  10. The police were looking for something, on foot, in the alley between sunnyside and agatite (between Hazel and Salvation Army Store). Let's hope it was just fireworks.

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  11. I live at beacon and montrose, and heard the shots described as by ChiTownPhilly. So either the sound carried really well, or there were additional shots closer to me.

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  12. I live at Wilson & Clarendon with a view of most of the park. I heard the noises to, and can visually confirm that I saw fireworks.

    I suspect that it was a) just fireworks b) fireworks used to further scare residents c) fireworks used to cover for gunshots.

    Who knows.

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  13. I live on Sunnyside and I've witnessed kids before setting off fireworks and then running. I had my dog with me and it scared the crap out of him. The kid I saw was an African American boy only about 12 with short hair. He was really young and just ran off after they went off. He set off what sounded like two VERY loud M80s. Believe me, they can sound like gunfire.

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  14. Phew, so it sounds like fireworks but Andy G makes a very good point; used to create a diversion, cover up actual shots fired, scare residents? Who knows. I already posted this link in the other shooting post but here it goes again,

    http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/4264350-418/chicago-first-city-with-citizens-sending-photos-videos-to-911.html

    I'm going to keep harping on this until we do it.... Citizen Patrol Groups. WE can be proactive while the police continue to be responders and maybe just maybe, we can see results. Being afraid, claiming you don't have time, not thinking it is a good idea or just not caring enough to get off the couch are NO excuses to not actively participate in this neighborhood.

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