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2 shot, 1 fatally, in drive-by in Homan Square: policeJermaine Nolenon May 24, 2021 at 2:33 am

A man died days after being shot May 7, 2021, in Bridgeport.
Two men were shot, one fatally, in a drive-by May 23, 2021, in the 3700 block of West Flournoy Street. | Sun-Times file

About 7:10 p.m., they were riding in a vehicle when someone fired shots at them from the street in the 3700 block of West Flournoy Street.

Two men were shot, one fatally, in a drive by Sunday in Homan Square on the West Side.

About 7:10 p.m., they were riding in a vehicle in the 3700 block of West Flournoy Street, when someone fired shots at them from the street in the Chicago police said.

A 25-year-old man was struck in the abdomen and taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. A 31-year-old man was grazed by a bullet on his right shoulder and taken to the same hospital in good condition.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office has not yet identified the 25-year-old man.

Area Four detectives are investigating.

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2 shot, 1 fatally, in drive-by in Homan Square: policeJermaine Nolenon May 24, 2021 at 2:33 am Read More »

‘The Chi’ recap: Emmett is shook, Jake is booked on season four premiereEvan F. Mooreon May 24, 2021 at 2:00 am

Kevin (Alex Hibbert) and his mother, Nina, played by Tyla Abercrumbie. | Showtime

Before his marriage to Tiff (Hannaha Hall), Emmett (Jacob Latimore) had a brief “entanglement” with his business partner, and he’s worried about his bride finding out.

SPOILER ALERT: This recap contains explicit plot details.

The season four premiere of Showtime’s “The Chi” kicks off with what appears to be dream sequence foreshadowing what we may see during the season.

Dressed in a tuxedo, teenage Kevin (Alex Hibbert) frantically searches for an exit — an image fans should keep their eye on.

Kevin wakes up next to Jemma (Judae’a Brown) confirming the two are in the “sleepover” stage of their relationship, making the all-too-familiar mistake of waking up in his girlfriend’s bedroom.

Kevin’s plan to jump out of Jemma’s window, put on the rest of his clothes and knock on the front door acting like he just showed up seems to work — on the surface, at least — until we see Jemma’s father reviewing home security footage of Kevin.

Rumors

In the aftermath of the election of Mayor Otis “Douda” Perry, allegations surface regarding his role with the 63rd Street Mob. And viewers even get a slick nod to the series’ biggest question heading into season three: what happened to Brandon (played by Jason Mitchell, who was booted from the cast after misconduct allegations surfaced).

While watching a news report, customers at Smokie’s say Brandon might have been done in by Douda — or entered witness protection.

The next scene shows Jemma’s dad telling Kevin that he looks like a group of teens who’ve committed arson on several businesses across the city. The father encourages positive images of Black people in a practice widely known as “Respectability Politics,” or conforming to the dominant culture in order to keep Black people out of trouble.

‘Soul Food’ flashback

Emmett, played by Jacob Latimore, is shook.

Before his marriage to Tiff (Hannaha Hall), he had a brief “entanglement” with his business partner, Dom (La La Anthony), and he’s worried about Tiff finding out. Now Emmett’s dad, Darnell, played by Rolando Boyce, is dating Dom.

Dom, doing the smart thing, clears the air by informing Darnell about her previous relationship with Emmett.

Not only is the episode, named “Soul Food,” an ode to the 1997 film Darnell, Emmett, Tiff and Dom are watching together, it’s also harks back to the iconic line shouted by Vanessa Williams’ character in the film: “The family f- – -ed my husband,” an explosive revelation similar to what Emmett desperately aims to avoid.


Showtime
Emmett (Jacob Latimore, far right, with Rolando Boyce, La La Anthony and Hannaha Hall) deals with the fallout of keeping his infidelities secret.

Philanthropy and flirting?

Douda and his wife, Roselyn (Kandi Burruss), meet with Tracy (Tai Davis), who is making a name for herself as an activist advocating for mothers who’ve lost children to gun violence and missing Black women and girls.

While Douda seems to want to help Tracy’s organization, it appears there’s a mutual attraction between the two.

‘I would’ve walked away, too.’

While Jake and Kevin are on their way to a basketball game, they bump into a kid who chastises Kevin for his school uniform.

Two police officers see the altercation and one of them asks the boys for their identification. Jake ignores the officer by walking past him. The officer promptly slams Jake to the ground, beats him up, and arrests him. As Kevin watches Jake get beat up, he reaches for his bookbag to retrieve his ID when one of the officers aims his gun at him.

Meanwhile, one of the kids films the entire episode on a phone.

Douda and Trig, Jake’s brother (Luke James), discover Jake is handcuffed to his hospital bed like Jacob Blake, a Kenosha, Wisconsin, man who was paralyzed from the waist down due to a police shooting.

Later, Kevin visits Jake, who says: “Maybe if I had my uniform on, I would’ve walked away, too,” which goes back to what Jemma’s dad said about portraying a certain image in order to avoid trouble.

And Trig, who wants immediate revenge, appears to find — and beat up — the police officer who assaulted Jake.


Showtime
Kevin (played by Alex Hibbert) deals with the aftermath of a violent encounter with police officers.

‘Are you sure you want to do this?’

After deciding against getting an abortion, Kiesha (Birgundi Baker) aims to give her unborn child up for adoption. But she has one stipulation for prospective parents: Her unborn child has to be raised in a two-parent household.

During an interview with a married couple, Kiesha realizes there’s internal strife between the two — a hunch confirmed when the wife later confides in her that a divorce is pending.

Storylines to think about:

  • Will Emmett crack under the pressure of his transgressions?
  • How will Jemma’s dad handle the fact that he’s all but confirmed that she’s sexually active with Kevin?
  • What’s true nature of Douda’s interest in Tracy? How does Roselyn factor in? How will he respond to Jake’s beating?

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‘The Chi’ recap: Emmett is shook, Jake is booked on season four premiereEvan F. Mooreon May 24, 2021 at 2:00 am Read More »

Billboard Music Awards: The Weeknd the top winner; Pink, Drake share joy with their kidsMesfin Fekadu | AP Music Writeron May 24, 2021 at 3:47 am

Pink performs with her 9-year-old daughter, Willow Sage Hart, at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday. | Chris Pizzello/AP

Multiple awards go to Bad Bunny, BTS, Gabby Barrett and the late Pop Smoke.

NEW YORK — It was a family affair at the Billboard Music Awards: Pink twirled in the air in a powerful performance with her daughter, and Drake was named artist of the decade, accepting the honor alongside his 3-year-old son.

Drake, who extended his record as the most decorated winner in the history of the awards show to 29 wins Sunday, was surrounded by family and friends who presented him with the award. He walked onstage outside the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles with his son Adonis holding his hand.

“I wanna dedicate this award to my friends, to my longtime collaborators … to my beautiful family, and to you,” he said, looking to Adonis and picking him up to kiss him.

Drake placed his first song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2009, and since has logged the most songs ever on the chart, with 232 entrees. He’s also logged a record 45 Top 10 hits on the Hot 100 and a record 22 No. 1’s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart.

He was also named top streaming songs artist Sunday.

Pink received the Icon Award and was joined onstage by her 9-year-old daughter — showing off their powerful gymnastic skills as they spun in the air in a jaw-dropping performance. Known for her signature aerial and acrobatic moves, Pink was matched by Willow Sage Hart as “Cover Me In Sunshine” played in the background, Pink’s song featuring vocals from her daughter.

“Willow, you nailed it,” Pink said after the performance. “I love what I do and I love the people that I get to do it with, and we’re pretty good at what we do, but it wouldn’t matter if no one came to see us and play with us. So all you guys out there … thank you for coming out!”

Pink’s performance was one of several pre-taped moments at the awards show, which aired on NBC and was hosted by Nick Jonas. Live performances were held outdoors, in front of audience members wearing masks.

The Weeknd was on hand to accept the most wins of the night: 10. He walked into the show with 16 nominations, winning honors including top artist, top male artist, top Hot 100 song for “Blinding Lights” and top R&B album for “After Hours.”

“I wanna take this opportunity to thank you, my parents,” he said. “I am the man I am today because of you. And thank you to my fans, of course. I do not take this for granted.”

The late rapper Pop Smoke was also a big winner: He posthumously earned five honors, including top new artist and top rap artist, while his debut — “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” — won top rap album and top Billboard 200 album, which his mother accepted onstage.

“Thank you to the fans for honoring the life and spirit of my son, so much that he continues to manifest as if he was still here in flesh,” Audrey Jackson said.

Another late rapper was also honored during the show. Before presenting top rap song to DaBaby, Swizz Beatz dedicated a moment to those who have recently died in hip-hop, including his close friend and collaborator DMX. And Houston rapper and activist Trae Tha Truth, who earned the Change Maker Award, ended his speech with a powerful sentence: “We still gon’ need justice for Breonna Taylor.”

Other winners Sunday included Bad Bunny and BTS, who both won four awards and also performed. Breakthrough country singer Gabby Barrett won three awards, including top female country artist and top country song for the hit “I Hope.” The song’s remix featuring Charlie Puth won top collaboration.

“Oh my gosh. Thank y’all so much. This means so much to me,” Barrett said as she broke into tears. “I’ve been performing for 10 years really hard. …We’ve worked so hard to get here.”

Another country star also won big Sunday, though he wasn’t allowed to participate in the show.

Morgan Wallen, who was caught on camera using a racial slur earlier this year, won three honors, including top country artist and top country album for “Dangerous: The Double Album,” which has had major success on the pop and country music charts despite his fallen moment.

Wallen was nominated for six awards, and Billboard Awards producer dick clark productions said it couldn’t prevent Wallen from earning nominations, or winning, because finalists are based on album and digital sales, streaming, radio airplay and social engagement. The producers did ban Wallen from performing or attending the show.

The Billboard Awards kicked off with a collaborative performance by DJ Khaled, H.E.R. and Migos, who brought the concert vibe back to life a year after live shows were in the dark because of the pandemic. Doja Cat and SZA — accompanied by futuristically dressed background dancers — sang their big hit “Kiss Me More” inside the venue, where the seats were empty. Alicia Keys, celebrating the 20th anniversary of her groundbreaking debut “songs in A minor,” sang songs from the album including the hit “Fallen.” The performance was introduced by former first lady Michelle Obama.

Other performers included Karol G, twenty one pilots, Duran Duran, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jonas Brothers and Glass Animals.

Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Kanye West won honors at the show though they didn’t attend. Machine Gun Kelly, who started in rap but has had recent success on the rock charts, won top rock artist and top rock album.

“I released my first mixtape 15 years ago and this is the first big stage I’ve ever been invited to accept an award on,” he said, kissing his actor-girlfriend Megan Fox before walking to the stage.

“To the box that society keeps trying to put me, you need stronger material because you can’t keep me in it,” he proclaimed.

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Billboard Music Awards: The Weeknd the top winner; Pink, Drake share joy with their kidsMesfin Fekadu | AP Music Writeron May 24, 2021 at 3:47 am Read More »

Movies That I Loveon May 24, 2021 at 12:07 am

Spiritual and Physical Wellness

Movies That I Love

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Movies That I Loveon May 24, 2021 at 12:07 am Read More »

Phil Mickelson wins PGA Championship, becoming oldest player to win a majoron May 23, 2021 at 11:13 pm

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. — Phil Mickelson has delivered so many thrills and spills over 30 years of pure theater that no one ever knows what he will do next.

His latest act was a real stunner: A major champion at age 50.

Mickelson captured his sixth major and by far the most surprising Sunday at the PGA Championship. He made two early birdies with that magical wedge game and let a cast of contenders fall too far behind to catch him in the shifting wind of Kiawah Island.

He closed with a 1-over 73, building a five-shot lead on the back nine and not making any critical mistakes that kept him from his place in history.

Julius Boros for 53 years held the distinction of golf’s oldest major champion. He was 48 when he won the 1968 PGA Championship in San Antonio.

Pure chaos broke out along the 18th hole after Mickelson hit 9-iron safely to just outside 15 feet that all but secured a most improbable victory. Thousands of fans engulfed him down the fairway — a scene typically seen only at the British Open — until Mickelson emerged into view with a thumbs-up.

Chants of “Lefty! Lefty! Lefty!” chased him onto the green and into the scoring tent, his final duty of a week he won’t soon forget.

Three months after 43-year-old Tom Brady won a seventh Super Bowl, Mickelson added to this year of ageless wonders. Mickelson became the first player in PGA Tour history to win tournaments 30 years apart. The first of his 45 titles was in 1991 when he was still a junior at Arizona State.

Mickelson became the 10th player to win majors in three decades, an elite list that starts with Harry Vardon and was most recently achieved by Tiger Woods.

“He’s been on tour as long as I’ve been alive,” Jon Rahm said. “For him to keep that willingness to play and compete and practice, it’s truly admirable.”

Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen had their chances, but only briefly. Koepka was 4 over on the par 5s when the game was still on and closed with a 74. Oosthuizen hit into the water as he was trying to make a final run and shot 73.

Mickelson finished at 6-under 282

The victory came one week after Mickelson accepted a special exemption into the U.S. Open because at No. 115 in the world and winless the last two years, he no longer was exempt from qualifying. He had not finished in the top 20 in his last 17 tournaments over nearly nine months. He worried that he was no longer able to keep his focus over 18 holes.

And then he beat the strongest field of the year — 99 of the top 100 players — and made it look easy.

The PGA Championship had the largest and loudest crowd since the return from the COVID-19 pandemic — the PGA of America said it limited tickets to 10,000, and it seemed like twice that many — and it clear what they wanted to see.

The opening hour made it seem as though the final day could belong to anyone. The wind finished its switch to the opposite direction from the opening rounds, and while there was low scoring early, Mickelson and Koepka traded brilliance and blunder.

Koepka flew the green with a wedge on the par-5 second hole, could only chip it about 6 feet to get out of an impossible lie and made double bogey, a three-shot swing when Mickelson hit a deft pitch from thick grass behind the green.

Mickelson holed a sand shot from short of the green on the par-5 third, only for Koepka to tie for the lead with a two-shot swing on the sixth hole when he made birdie and Lefty missed the green well to the right.

Kevin Streelman briefly had a share of the lead. Louis Oosthuizen was lurking, even though it took him seven holes to make a birdie.

And then the potential for any drama was sucked out to sea.

Oosthuizen, coming off a birdie to get within three, had to lay up out of the thick grass on the 13th and then sent his third shot right of the flag and into the water, making triple bogey.

Just like that, Mickelson was up by five and headed toward the inward holes, the wind at his back on the way home with what seemed like the entire state of South Carolina at his side.

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Phil Mickelson wins PGA Championship, becoming oldest player to win a majoron May 23, 2021 at 11:13 pm Read More »

White Sox get swept in New York, fall in walk-off fashion againon May 23, 2021 at 11:26 pm

A pinch home run by rookie Andrew Vaughn against Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman, on what manager Tony La Russa called “an absolutely perfect swing” in the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium Sunday, tied the game and lit the White Sox dugout.

And why shouldn’t it have? It was one of the most dramatic moments of the season. It gave the Sox a chance to avoid getting swept by the hottest team in baseball.

Carlos Rodon’s 13-strikeout scoreless start in a losing effort Friday and Jose Abreu’s and Yasmani Grandal’s Sunday homers notwithstanding, it had been a far from perfect three-game series for the Sox in a matchup with another playoff contender. On Sunday, left-hander Dallas Keuchel could only get through four-plus innings, and errors by Keuchel and shortstop Tim Anderson gave the Yankees three unearned runs.

But for just a hot minute on a steamy May afternoon in New York, Vaughn’s improbable blast against Chapman, who hadn’t allowed an earned run or blown a save this season, set the stage for a happy ending to their road trip.

Then came the bottom of the ninth, which ended badly on closer Liam Hendriks’ five-pitch walk to Aaron Judge with the bases loaded, giving the Yankees a 5-4 win and a sweep that left the Sox with a 2-4 road trip.

Choosing to continue with left-hander Aaron Bummer (0-3) rather than give Hendriks a clean inning in the ninth, La Russa watched Bummer allow a leadoff single to Clint Frazier, who then stole second getting a huge jump against the left-hander as Brett Gardner struck out. DJ LeMahieu was walked intentionally, and when Tyler Wade’s dribbler to the right side of the infield went for a single, the bases were loaded for Judge.

Hendriks got Judge to swing at the first pitch at eye level, then threw four straight balls, none of them close to a strike, completing the walk-off.

“We liked the matchups in the ninth inning,” said La Russa, explaining why Hendriks didn’t start the inning in a tie game. “And the other thing, you still have to think at some point, you may need Liam for more [possible 10th inning].

“The toughest break was [Wade’s infield hit].”

It was the Yankees’ fourth walk-off victory in their last five home games, including two against the Sox, and their sixth win in a row. Jameson Taillon pitched five innings of two-hit ball to extend the scoreless streak by Yankees starters to 35 innings, matching a string in 1947 for the second-longest in team history.

The Yankees (28-19) are 23-9 since 5-10 start and the Sox are 26-19 after losing three straight for the first time but remain in first place in the AL Central. The Sox grounded into two double plays after hitting into four in a 7-0 loss to Gerrit Cole Saturday.

Vaughn hit into a crushing triple play facing Chapman in a 2-1 loss Friday.

“Yeah, I mean, he’s got one of if not the best fastballs in the game,” said Vaughn, who pointed to the Sox bullpen as he sprinted around the bases. “It gets on you and you got to get on top of it and put a good swing on it.”

The Sox are already thinking about playing the Yankees in the postseason.

“Come playoff time we can hopefully come back, we’ll have a little bit of grit underneath us and more experience.”

The Sox noted a “playoff atmosphere,” Vaughn said, chalking up the sweep as something to build in.

“[But] losing is never fun. Losing stinks,” Vaughn said. “Definitely not a good feeling but we get to come at this thing tomorrow. It’s why baseball is so great. It comes right back at you. Get on the plane, get home, get some sleep and be at the ball yard tomorrow.”

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White Sox get swept in New York, fall in walk-off fashion againon May 23, 2021 at 11:26 pm Read More »

Multi-inning relief role getting Cubs’ young relievers some early experienceon May 23, 2021 at 11:26 pm

ST. LOUIS – The Cubs have started to find something in their bullpen over the last month, and after the success of the veteran relievers like Craig Kimbrel, Andrew Chafin, and Ryan Tepera, it’s been the young arms that have come up and made the biggest impact.

Left-hander Justin Steele and right-handers Keegan Thompson and Tommy Nance have come up and not only had success, but have been thrown right into the fire. Manager David Ross hasn’t been afraid to pull the trigger and put one of his rookie relievers in a high-leverage situation.

Thompson is 2-1 with a 0.00 ERA in seven games (one start) this season. Before going on the IL, Steele was 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA before going on the IL earlier this week, and Nance has thrown 2 2/3 scoreless innings since being called up on May 16.

“I’ve seen a lot of baseball,” manager David Ross said. “I’ve caught a lot of pitchers, a lot of good pitchers, and there’s a lot of traits that the young guys have, whether it’s stuff, swing and miss, strike-throwing, poise handling the moment. This is the big leagues, and you have to perform when your number gets called, these guys have done that.”

Both Thompson and Steele have been starters throughout their time in the minors and because of that, Ross has been able to lean on them for multiple innings out of the bullpen. The flexibility is an added luxury with the league’s three-batter minimum rule.

“It’s more a product right now of us understanding the landscape of where pitching is right now,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said. “Having the shortened season last year and trying to figure out ways to control workload, you’re seeing more of these two- and three-inning relievers. And usually, what makes really good two- and three-inning relievers are my minor-league starters.

“I think it’s a great way to get guys a chance to get one time through the order to get their feet wet. It’s kind of like, you’re gonna come in, you’re gonna face a lineup one time and take us through, get two or three innings and then kind of see where you’re at.”

Duffy dealing with lower back tightness

Infielder Matt Duffy has been a big part of the Cubs bouncing back on offense over the last month, but he was out of the lineup for Sunday’s series finale against the Cardinals with lower back tightness. Duffy was removed during the seventh inning of Saturday’s game. He’s hitting .278/.377/.356 with a homer and 12 RBIs this season.

“Wanted to get him out of there and not push it,” Ross said. “It’s something he’s just kind of been dealing with a little bit.”

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Multi-inning relief role getting Cubs’ young relievers some early experienceon May 23, 2021 at 11:26 pm Read More »

Pendry brings artists to neighborhoodson May 23, 2021 at 11:40 pm

Chicago’s Art and Beer Scene

Pendry brings artists to neighborhoods

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Pendry brings artists to neighborhoodson May 23, 2021 at 11:40 pm Read More »

Felon shot man in West Side alley, said he was ‘lucky’ gun ran out of ammo after trying to open fire again: prosecutorson May 23, 2021 at 10:47 pm

Bail was denied Sunday for a convicted felon who allegedly shot a 55-year-old man earlier this month on the West Side and told him to consider himself “lucky” when the gun ran out of ammunition during a subsequent attack.

David N. Ethridge, 38, of Hanover Park, was charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm in the May 14 shooting in the 3700 block of West Chicago, according to Chicago police and the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

Late that night, Ethridge initially offered to sell the other man drugs but was turned down, Assistant State’s Attorney Andrea Williams said during his initial court hearing. About a half hour later, Ethridge allegedly followed the man into an alley behind a gas station and opened fire, striking him in the thigh.

The man ran off but Ethridge gave chase and fired at least two more shots in his direction “before the gun began to click,” Williams said. When the man fell to the ground, Ethridge allegedly stood over him and unsuccessfully attempted to fire more shots at him.

“At that time, the defendant told the victim that he was lucky that he ran out of bullets,” Williams said.

After getting away, the wounded man was taken to Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center and his condition was stabilized, authorities said.

Police investigators retrieved surveillance video from the gas station showing Ethridge trailing the man into the alley, according to Williams, who said the victim fingered the alleged gunman in a photo lineup. Williams said the man first met Ethridge when the suspected shooter tried to sell him the drugs, noting the video footage didn’t capture any provocation or argument between the two men.

Ethridge was later arrested Saturday morning near the scene of the shooting, police said. He identified himself from an image pulled from the video footage, Williams said.

Ethridge has a lengthy criminal history and was on parole at the time of the shooting for a 2019 extortion conviction in Iowa, Williams said. He has also been sent to the Illinois Department of Corrections eight times, including a five-year sentence in 2005 for battering a police officer.

Mark Joslyn, Ethridge’s public defender, explained that his client has a history of mental illness. Joslyn described him as a lifelong Cook County resident who works at a warehouse and lives with his fiancee and three kids.

Judge Charles Beach ultimately denied Ethridge bail, remarking on the “randomness” of the attack and the “chilling” attempt to “finish the job.” He set Ethridge’s next court date for June 1.

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Felon shot man in West Side alley, said he was ‘lucky’ gun ran out of ammo after trying to open fire again: prosecutorson May 23, 2021 at 10:47 pm Read More »

4 shot in East Garfield Parkon May 23, 2021 at 10:26 pm

Four people were wounded in a shooting Sunday in East Garfield Park.

They were outside about 2:50 p.m. in the 3300 block of West Ohio Street when a vehicle pulled up and someone inside fired shots at them, Chicago police said.

A 20-year-old man was struck multiple times and took himself to Norwegian American Hospital in good condition, police said. A 21-year-old man was struck in the back and brought to Stroger Hospital, also in good condition.

A 25-year-old man was struck in his right side and a 41-year-old man was struck multiple times, police said. They were both taken to Stroger Hospital, were the 25-year-old is in good condition and the older man is in critical condition.

No arrests have been reported. Area Four detectives are investigating.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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4 shot in East Garfield Parkon May 23, 2021 at 10:26 pm Read More »