A 17-year-old girl was among five people injured – four of them critically – in the shooting that occurred outside the Lincoln Park Zoo Saturday morning.
A group of people gathered outside on the 1900 block of North Stockton Drive when an altercation ensued before someone drew a gun and opened fire around 4:40 a.m., according to Chicago police.
The 17-year-old girl was shot in the buttocks and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition, police said.
Three men who suffered multiple gunshot wounds – ages 27, 31 and 44 – took themselves to the same hospital, where all were listed in critical condition, police said.
A fourth man, 23, also suffered multiple gunshot wounds in the attack. He appeared at the Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition, police said.
No arrests were reported.
By mid-morning, there was no sign that a mass shooting had taken place hours earlier, as residents strolled to the zoo and farmers market along the roads that cut through Lincoln Park.
In a written statement, Ald. Timmy Knudsen, 43, and North Side state Representative Margaret Croke said the group who had gathered during the shootout “engaged in reckless behavior” and “had been drinking.”
The elected official said police promised to “consistently patrol” the area and re-impose a ban on parking at “strategic spots” near where the shooting took place.
“Let's be clear: this type of violence is unacceptable in our city and as elected officials, we will work to ensure there is a rapid response to prevent this from happening again,” Knudsen and Croke said.
Felicia Wilhelm, who has lived near that stretch of Stockton Drive for decades, brought her poodle to Charlie past the shooting site early Saturday morning. He welcomed the prospect of increased patrols.
“I don't know if it will make much difference,” said Wilhelm of the potential parking ban. “(Patrolling) is the thing that people are most confident about. It's a deterrent, and if it does, those people will go elsewhere.”
Anyone with video or information about the shooting is asked to contact Area 3 detectives at (312) 744-8263.