A shooting victim who was initially thought to have been killed is fighting for his life in hospital after he was spotted breathing under sheet placed over him.
The 17-year-old was one of six people shot in the University Village neighbourhood of Chicago at around 4.45am on Monday in an incident that stemmed from a party.
A woman was killed and the teenager was shot several times in the head when an individual began shooting from one of two vehicles which had been seen driving around the block several times.
Police realized the man was alive when it was seen breathing underneath the sheet placed over him as he lying on the road
A paramedic was sent to the man’s aid and it despite being shot several times in the head is still alive
Chicago Fire Department paramedics who arrived at the scene in the 1300-block of South Loomis Street assumed he was dead.
But witnesses at the scene told officers that the man was still alive and paramedics began administering CPR before he was taken to Stroger Hospital in very critical condition.
ABC Eyewitness News said its cameras were on scene for at least 15 minutes before the sheet was removed.
‘That individual has a catastrophic injury,’ said Chicago Police First Deputy Superintendent Anthony Riccio.
‘He was shot in the head and the prognosis is not good.
‘I do understand that paramedics looked at him, believed him to be deceased, covered him with that sheet and moved on to another individual who was nearby who was also shot.
‘They saw motion, movement underneath the sheet. Officers who were present notified paramedics, this man is still alive.’
The 17-year-old was taken to the Stroger Hospital in very critical condition. According to police, his prognosis is ‘not good’
A weapon, possibly a Mac-10 pistol, was recovered from the scene of what is believed to be a gang related shooting
According to Chicago Emergency Medical Services protocols, paramedics who triage patients when responding to a 911 call.
Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago said an investigation is underway into how the teenager was mistaken for dead,. ‘We’re looking into it right now. We’re trying to piece everything together.
We’re looking at the computers where they put down all that information. Paramedics put down that information,’ Santiago said.
The woman killed in the incident was identified as 22-year-old Shalonza E. McToy and shewas pronounced dead at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds.
A 21-year-old man shot in the leg and a 23-year-old man shot in the arm were both taken to Stroger Hospital in stable condition. A 25-year-old man shot multiple times in the abdomen and was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital by his girlfriend and is in stable condition, police said.
A sixth victim, a 21-year-old man, was discovered at Rush Hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg. He was treated and released. Area Central detectives are investigating and a weapon, possibly a Mac-10, was recovered from the scene. Police said none of the surviving victims are cooperating with investigators and the shooting is believed to be related to an ongoing gang dispute in the area.