1 DEAD, 15 INJURED IN CHICAGO SHOOTINGS ON NEW YEAR'S DAY



Chicago police are investigating the city's first homicide of the year as new crime numbers for 2015 are released.



By Jessica D'Onofrio
Friday, January 01, 2016 10:24AM

CHICAGO (WLS) --
One person was killed and at least 15 others were wounded in Chicago shootings on New Year's Day.

A 24-year-old man became the first reported homicide of 2016 on January 1 at 2:20 a.m. in the Bronzeville neighborhood. Chicago police said his body was found next to a car on the street in the 4600-block of South St. Lawrence Avenue. He has not been identified.

15 SHOT ACROSS CITY

The most recent nonfatal shooting left a man critically wounded at 6:40 a.m. in the South Side Back of the Yards neighborhood.

A man, thought to be in his 30s, was shot in the chest in the 1900 block of West Garfield, police said. He traveled to 55th Street and Artesian before he was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.

20 minutes earlier, another man was shot in the same neighborhood, according to police.

The 29-year-old man was shot in the shoulder at 6:20 a.m. in the 5400 block of South Winchester, police said. He was also taken to Stroger, but his condition was not immediately known.
About two hours earlier, a man was shot in the West Garfield Park neighborhood.

The 26-year-old man was shot in the leg at 4:30 a.m. in the 600 block of South Kostner Avenue, police said. He took himself to Rush University Medical Center, where he was listed in good condition.
About two hours earlier, three men were shot in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side.

The men - ages 26, 20, and 22, - were standing near a gas station just before 3 a.m. in the 7500 block of South State when someone approached them and opened fire, police said.

The 26-year-old was shot in the leg; the 20-year-old was shot in the back, and the 22-year-old was shot in the arm, police said. They took themselves to St. Bernard Hospital, where their conditions were stabilized.
Less than an hour earlier, two men were shot in the Washington Heights neighborhood on the Far South Side.

The two 24-year-old men were shot about 2 a.m. in the 9800 block of South Beverly, police said. One man was shot in the right hand and the other was shot in the back, police said. Both were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
At 12:49 a.m., man was critically wounded in a shooting in the South Side Burnside neighborhood.

A 38-year-old man was having an argument with someone he knew at a party at 12:49 a.m. in the 9200 block of South Drexel Avenue when that person pulled out a gun and shot him in the chest and back, police said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition.

The first shooting of 2016 left one person injured early New Year's Day in the South Chicago neighborhood.

The 34-year-old woman was inside a residence at 12:05 a.m. Friday in the 8000 block of South Paxton when a bullet came through the window and grazed her hand, police said. She was taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital in good condition police said.

Two hours before, a man was wounded in a shooting in the West Englewood neighborhood on the South Side.

At 10:15 p.m., the 18-year-old man was shot in the right hand while standing on the corner in the 7000 block of South Laflin Street, police said. He took himself to Holy Cross Hospital in good condition, police said.
A 30-year-old man was shot Thursday night in the Washington Park neighborhood on the South Side.

He was shot in the left leg in the 6200 block of South Martin Luther King Drive at 8:15 p.m., police said. He took himself to University of Chicago Medical Center, but his condition was not immediately available.
A man was shot Thursday evening in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side.

At 4:48 p.m., the 28-year-old man pulled into a drive way in the 7200 block of South Aberdeen Street when he heard shots and felt pain, police said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn with a gunshot wound to the leg, where his condition was stabilized.

The first shooting of the holiday weekend happened just after 3 p.m. Thursday in the Austin Neighborhood on the West Side.

A 24-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman were arguing with a third person in the 1000 block of North Lorel when the person pulled out a gun and fired shots, police said.

The two victims took themselves to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, police said. The man was shot in the leg and his condition was stabilized at West Suburban. The woman was shot in the abdomen and transferred to Stroger Hospital in serious condition.

Police said the shooting may have happened during an attempted robbery. The man is a documented gang member.

2015 CRIME STATS RELEASED

Hours before the city's first reported murder, the Chicago Police Department released new crime numbers for 2015. The statistics show there were more than 50 more homicides last year than in 2014.

The new numbers come at a bad time for the department, after the release of dash-cam video that shows the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald, 17, by Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke.

Just before the city rang in 2016, Interim Chicago Police Superintendent John Escalante spoke to the media to talk about the violent year.

"But we're not unique. Chicago is not unique. Certainly I'm not trying to take the spotlight off Chicago. But if you look at every other major city across country, everyone has dealt with a spike and increase in violent crime," Escalante said.

Even though murder numbers are up, Escalante said crime rates are down in other areas, like sexual assault and robbery. He credits the men and women of the department with the decrease in those areas, but said there is lot of work to be done.

http://abc7chicago.com/news/1-dead-1...jan-1/1143023/