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| The scene this afternoon outside Jimmy John's at Wilson & Racine |
"Following this on the police scanner. I guess two guys walked up to a group of men and opened fire. Sounds like someone got shot in the face. There were at least 10 shots fired."
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Update: According to the Tribune, two men were shot: "According to preliminary reports, the victims were standing outside with a group of men when two gunmen approached and started firing in their direction, Perez said. A man in his 30s was shot multiple times and was taken in critical condition to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, said Perez. The other victim, a man in his 20s, suffered several graze wounds to the head and his condition this afternoon had stabilized at Weiss Memorial Hospital, Perez said." Whole story is here.
Gee, how much is being spent on a new el platform?
ReplyDeleteThat rehab will be a total waste of money as long as shit like this festers in Uptown.
Cause/Effect issue.
ReplyDeleteIs the decrepit Wilson L stop a contributing factor in continued violence?
I'd say so.
When the new station is built, foot traffic will increase along with the diversity of the users - this will/should create an atmosphere less inviting or protective of the kinds of people who walk around shooting other people in the face.
Wait, how would a nicer looking station stop a man from walking up a shooting another, in what seems to be a planned hit?
DeleteThere's plenty of people already there on Wilson, I think most uptown residents who have to use the train do so, and I don't think this is crime could be in anyway blamed on community atmosphere. If uptown were suddenly replaced with wicker park populace and had the sane scenario take place, you'd reach the sane conclusion Id think.
The l stop is not the cause either. Blame education, intelligence breeds prosperity, these folks walking around shooting are not educated, and either is a large percentage of uptown
DeleteWatch your mouth. THAT was NOT an intelligent statement. P
DeletePlenty more intelligent than yours. Are you implying that education isn't associated with monetary success? Or that gang bangers are actually geniuses and not former high-school dropouts? Education is obviously a huge root issue of violence, especially in Chicago.
Deleteyo, dream on.
ReplyDeleteWow if I would have left Truman 10mins later that would have been me. I cross Wilson from Truman and start walking towards raccine from Harold's chicken, and then continue on towards Lawrence to catch the bus, depending on which way the shots were fired I could have been another wrong place wrong time person.
ReplyDeleteBut earlier around 1130am two men were fighting directly infront of Truman,possibly related
Person with gun, covered in blood was seen fleeing into 4650 n Malden. Same unit that had shooting occur outside the front door two months ago, same building that has been discussed as a haven for drug dealing. Police were called to location and arrived 10min after. Gunman had left building with other residents in black sedan.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, I'm not negative about the el rehab, I think it is awesome. I just don't think it will impact the occurences of these random, gang related shootings. Its good to dream though that a spiffy new station will reduce crime. Kinda like back in Bush years when we were all led to dream that his tax cuts for the wealthy would lead to massive employment increases and an economic shangri la for everyone for evermore.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, yo. As I look out my window, less than a block from the shooting, I see all kinds of foot traffic mid-day. Not sure how the el station will make it busier than that area is when Truman is in session. And I don't get the diversity thing at all. If you build it they will come? Not if people are getting shot in the face.
ReplyDeleteYO, That is wrong. A new Train station is like lipstick on a pig. New Station, same terrible environment. New Station, same people pissing on it. New Station, same drug dealers. New Station, same gangs. A new train station isn't going to change the caliber of people in the area.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Wilson L stop has absolutely NOTHIING to do with the violence.
ReplyDeleteDoes our decrepit Michigan Avenue invite violence? The thugs traveling there this past summer with their "flash-mobbing & wilding" intentions don't seem to care that it is a beautiful neighborhood.
Quit dancing around the truth. The urban centers in this country are filled with gangland thugs that think it is cool to be a thug. Chicago Uptown is no exception.
Gee...what's the solution... Oh, yeah...better schools? Better teachers? Enough with that BS.
How about better PARENTING! How about raising children to understand the difference between right and wrong. How about not even bringing children into this world unless you know that you can provide for them. Because, it actually costs a lot of money to raise a kid. How about accountability and responsibility? Does that count anymore?
But, until we start discussing the truth...we can just continue to blame the schools, the teachers, and the decrepit L stops.
Yeah, that's the ticket.
All your doing is complaining without solutions.
DeleteDo You think a large percentage of kids who have kids are from affluent educated families?
There not.
Children who have kids are overwhelmingly from underprivileged families, and mostly minorities. If these people were as educated as you and I ,maybe they could actually set a good example,
But what your asking for is for a magical switch. How are a bunch of dumb people supposed to teach how to act smart?
Accountability? So tell a 5yr old kid its there fault for being brought into a bad home, orteach that kid to grow and not repeat the same mistakes as there 17yr old mother??
I'm not saying parenting isn't part of the solution, but just saying people should parent isn't going to solve the problem on its own either.
One of the victims has reportedly died.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I'm delighted we're getting a new L station. Crime or no crime, it's going to be great for the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteFor the whiners complaining about crime around the Wilson Station, how about attending the next CAPS meeting?
Hmmm, 4650 Malden.....that wouldn't be the CHA building would it? Shocker for sure!
ReplyDeleteBlueprintBlue.... I like the way you think. :-)
As much as I love to see new buildings, building rehabs and new business come to Uptown, till a certain element is vacated, its like continually beating our heads against a wall. As a society, we pay for this....by not making people accountable, and continuing to pay for their housing with our tax dollars. Hell, why do they have any reason to leave public housing, or to get a job when we give them everything they need to live. Just doesn't add up.
I sympathize with the people who truly need the help, but I'm sorry, if you have the money to buy smokes, drink all night, and get high, your sorry ass should not be living in public supported housing...end of story. End this foolish spending our taxpayers money, and maybe some of these problems. The fact that our money is going to the same people that terrorize us is just ridiculous!
The wilson el rehab has a lot to do with the holistic solution...
ReplyDeleteJust an FYI - the El Station isn't a fix to get rid of crime. That's a complete fantasy and the city of Chicago and Alderman know this. If you believe(d) this to be so, here's your voice of reason: change your beliefs.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to take limit crime, make sure you keep calling the police when you witness crime. Bug the living hell out of them. Now that this has happened, the TRS will be rolling through but that is a temporary solution. Residents need to be the eyes/ears. Hear no evil/see no evil just doesn't work.
Folks go back and forth on this site about what they think will solve the problem(s) we have in uptown, Chicago or the US. It's obvious that one symptom isn't the leading cause to crime in uptown or anywhere. We live in a world where TV could be to blame as well as the lack of parenting or gentrification. The macro dynamics we face each day contribute to all of our well being (and lack thereof).
I'm down with BluePrint re: parenting. Nothing that is done will have the impact of, nor will any solution to this idiocy be abated without addressing, parenting.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the simple aspect of a new station won't stop violence. Note, I said contributing factor.
My point is that a brand new station may bring about a shift in perspective - or, at the very least, more attention to the area.
That heightened attention, and increased foot traffic (by a more diverse crowd of people - ie, folks who normally would avoid Target because Wilson is so bad) threatens the anonymity required by your garden variety, gutless, gangbanger douchebag.
Additionally, revitalizing the area will have a ripple effect as to the composition of the neighborhood.
You can still have diversity in the hood w/o having to cater to the type of people who either foster or ignore a pro-gang environment.
So, again - no. It's not the solution; but, it is part of one.
Even with good parenting, a bunch of uneducated unemployed teenagers will probably be up to no good, hell even well taught kids fall. But responsibility with a mix of fair opportunity (not handouts! ) will actually solve the problem. Not just kick them out and have them move to outlining neighborhoods..look at portage park, use to be a family community and now its equal to Albany park in violence it seems
Delete@ Big Guy I think your comment is true. I think a vast majority of people in this city and country feel the same way about public housing – it’s more of a corrupt nuisance then a true social benefit. I think it’s interesting and hard to believe that the CHA is regarded as a model agency to other housing authorities in the U.S. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_housing_in_the_United_States)
ReplyDeleteHopefully, this will be ANOTHER awakening to neighborhood and city officials to close the 4650 Malden building down. The mayor announced in July of this year the intent to demolish gang actively buildings, can’t the city use a form of eminent domain here?
There should be plenty of witnesses to this shooting. Lots of people loitering about & drinking at that time.
ReplyDelete@Big Guy. I dont think I could say it any better myself. Well Said my friend. Maybe to top it, all of those that receive the benefit of our tax dollars should be subject of a drug test to receive those benefits. My guess is you would see a change.
ReplyDeleteCan someone explain to me why it is that when you walk in front of Truman there is -never- any police presence? All of the bad behavior that I see directly in front of one of the City Colleges could be prevented with a few cops on foot actually policing. Instead what we get is a police force too thin to actually police. It's ridiculous. You people want to bitch about how Shiller is the problem, and you're wrong. The problem is that King that you elected mayor and his lackey police chief. They all but refuse to staff at the appropriate levels, and we are forced to suffer the consequences and it's time for people to wake up. The problem here is lack of police presence to actually discourage the type of hoodlum behavior that anyone walking on Wilson is forced to encounter. Just the other day I saw a fight break out right in front of the school, and nobody could do anything because there is never anyone that even resembles a police officer nearby.
ReplyDelete@yo -completely disagree. I can't believe it. Lol.
ReplyDeleteThrowing money at something isn't going to do a damn thing. Those pretty pics of the new station didn't include the SRO just around the corner either.
@Big Guy, you've hit the nail on the head. @un-biased, what is "NOT and intelligent statement"?
ReplyDeleteTo add another layer to the discussion and perhaps more fuel to the fire, I bring you the following article from residents of the CHA:
http://wethepeoplemedia.org/uncategorized/pros-and-cons-of-relocation/
Pubic housing is supposed to be a temporary stop-gap until recipient of pubic housing is able to get back on their feet. As is clear from this resident, at least, in her own words, public housing is more of a final solution. So much so that she and her family/friends complain about the conditions of the public housing (for example, a dishwasher that is in disrepair).
Several of the commenters on Uptown Update complain about the stereotype that public housing residents are the source of our problems in Uptown. Let me pose these questions to some of them: how long have you been a resident of CHA? What steps are you taking to secure traditional housing? While not all residents of CHA may be criminals, they certainly are the source of our problems to the extent that they perpetuate and contribute to a world view in which living in CHA is the norm or standard. These thugs in our neighborhood do not see other options (i.e., education and a job) because they grow up in an environment where independence and self-sufficiency are not valued. So I whole-heartedly disagree that our problems in Uptown are only tied to a "few bad apples" in CHA. Our problems are tied to the sheer volume of Section 8 housing in Uptown, which leads to a very unhealthy and distorted world view.
If you want to comment, comment on the topic. Comments insulting each other's views, heritage and grammar won't be put through.
ReplyDeleteAMEN Nugatory.
ReplyDeleteSo say tomorrow cha buildings in uptown are removed. Is the real problem fixed? Even addressed? No. Those people will just be moved, if you remove all public housing where do the poor go? Is the system broke?
ReplyDeleteYes.
Will simply removing the system do anything to accomplish the goal of building a better Chicago, Illinois, u.s.? The same challenges from the start of LBJ'S great society are THE SAME EXACT problems we have now.
Telling thousands of people to help themselves probably wont help much. Man is it a challenge, but if we actually think before acting on what's the best solution for our poor,
Maybe we can do some good.
ChicagoKid, you wrote "So say tomorrow cha buildings in uptown are removed. Is the real problem fixed? Even addressed? No. Those people will just be moved, if you remove all public housing where do the poor go? Is the system broke?"
ReplyDeleteI don't suggest that all CHA buildings should be removed. But something like 43% of the housing units in Uptown are subsidized housing. That is an excessive concentration of low-income housing in such a small area. One of the reasons for getting rid of high-density projects was to eliminate large concentrations of poverty. Because of policies in Uptown in the past 10-20 years, Uptown now has a critical mass of low-income housing and we simply cannot support or sustain it at this level. I don't suggest that it all be shut down, but I do think it would be better to have CHA buildings more equitably distributed throughout the city so that the thugs do not outnumber the law-abiding citizens. And by thugs, I don't just mean the gang bangers. I'm including all of their customers. The CHA residents that are buying crack, meth, and pot from the gang bangers are just as at fault as the gang bangers themselves.