A Halloween night shooting spree on Chicago's West Side left at least 14 people hurt; among the victims were children.
The incident occurred near South California Avenue and West Polk Street, the Chicago Police Department confirmed to Fox News.
The injured people included a 3-year-old, an 11-year-old, and a 13-year-old, according to the police in a press conference. The other victims were adults, police added.
In addition to the shooting victims, a car hit another person.The police did not release any other details regarding the hit-and-run victim.
Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said that, according to pod camera footage, at least one automobile and two gunmen are believed to have opened fire on a crowd that gathered at the crossroads for a vigil.
The drive-by shooting only lasted three seconds, and the perpetrators fired into the gathering at random, according to the police. Brown said no suspects have been apprehended and the attack's motivation remains unknown.
No Fatalities Reported
It has been reported that no one was killed in the gunshot, but authorities are still investigating. According to police, victims are in different conditions.
CBS News reports that while most victims were brought to Stroger Hospital of Cook County, several were also taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Mount Sinai Hospital.
Brown claimed that the street intersection where the shooting took place had no prior violent incidents.
Multiple gunshots were heard, according to one eyewitness per Fox News.
The witness said four people seemed to have sustained the most severe injuries, including a child who sustained a wound in the left leg and a man who got hit in the head.
He then went on to detail the victims he claimed to have seen on the street, including a young girl who didn't appear to be gravely hurt and a baby wounded in the gunshot.
The eyewitness witnessed a car flee the area quickly. On Monday night, nobody had been taken into custody.
Number of Illegal Guns in Chicago Increase
A recent NPR story discussed how the proliferation of homemade machine guns may be to blame for the rise in the frequency of mass shootings in Chicago.
Economist Philip Cook from Duke University has studied the issue of gun violence prevention for over 40 years. He believes that there is "a lot of gang violence" in Chicago and the gangs are well-informed about the choices in terms of weaponry.
He explained that auto sears operate on many pistols, however, illegal machine guns are "attractive" to gang members because such weapons have the capability to rapidly fire off multiple shots, therefore making them useful in battle and more effective at shooting and killing.
Cook further noted that, unlike a rifle, homemade weapons are simple to hide in a coat or waistline, thus they are highly sought after by gang members.
In 2018, Chicago police officers first encountered firearms with switches installed. At the same time, there was an increase in mass shootings, with many perpetrators resorting to high-capacity magazines.
One of the bloodiest shootings in city history occurred in the parking area of a South Side hospital in November of that year.
