A man has been arrested in connection with a deadly shooting on Chicago’s Near North Side. Officers heard gunfire, spotted the suspect walking away with a cane, and followed him down to the Loop using surveillance cameras and car plate scanners.
The shooting unfolded just before 9:50 a.m. Saturday in the 800 block of North Cambridge Avenue. A 46-year-old man riding in a Chevy Suburban was ambushed by a gunman who approached and opened fire in broad daylight.
Officers in an unmarked CPD vehicle nearby mistook the gunfire for fireworks until the victim, bleeding and frantic, drove up to them for assistance. Despite their efforts, the man died at the scene from several gunshot wounds to the back, according to authorities.
As the officers glanced around, they noticed a man limping away from the scene with a cane. Officers from CPD’s Near North (18th) District checked surrounding camera feeds and discovered that the suspect escaped in an Audi Q7.
Police used license plate readers to follow the vehicle’s journey into the Loop. The suspect’s car became immobilized when he collided with several cars near Michigan and Wacker around 10:17 a.m., and authorities apprehended him immediately. A firearm was recovered from the vehicle.
Saturday’s victim was the 33rd person shot on the Near North Side this year. This includes the 18 individuals injured in a single drive-by at Artis Lounge, 311 West Chicago Avenue, on Wednesday night.