Local
Four wounded in shooting near Little Village church after volunteer meal-packing trip
Four people were shot outside New Life Center in Little Village late Friday after volunteers returned from packing meals with teens. Church officials said the group was targeted by someone in a white sedan; all four victims were reported in good condition.
Four people were wounded in a shooting outside New Life Center in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood late Friday, after volunteers returned from a meal-packing trip with local teens, church officials said.
The shooting happened shortly after 11 p.m. as people were leaving the church. New Life Center officials said an assailant in a white sedan opened fire and fled on Pulaski Road. The circumstances and motive were not reported.
Two church staff members and a volunteer were among those injured. A fourth person, whose connection to the group was unclear, also was hospitalized. The victims were identified as a 56-year-old man shot in the leg, a 26-year-old man shot in the foot, a 25-year-old man shot in the hand and a 19-year-old man shot in the arm. All were listed in good condition. The 19-year-old brought himself to a hospital; the others were taken to area hospitals.
Earlier Friday, volunteers had taken teens to Feed My Starving Children to pack meals for families abroad, according to New Life Center. The group had returned to the church before the shooting.
In a statement, church leaders called the violence “heartbreaking and unacceptable.” They said staff and Peacekeepers work to mentor young people, interrupt violence and build relationships, and that the organization’s offices, youth centers and community spaces should be safe places.
No suspect was identified in the available information.