Man shot on Eisenhower in critical condition

FOX 32 / SUN-TIMES - A man who was shot Tuesday afternoon on the Eisenhower Expressway on the Near West Side remains in critical condition.

Troopers responded to a single-vehicle crash on eastbound I-290 at Morgan Street about 3 p.m. and found a man shot in the abdomen, according to Illinois State Police.

The man, believed to be in his 20s, was taken to a Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said.

After the shooting, the victim’s SUV, which was carrying two other adults and a toddler, careened into a barrier by the Blue Line. The gunman then sped off.

“It's like survival mode for everybody, will we make it home today?” a Good Samaritan said.

The Good Samaritan, heading home from work, came upon the crash just after it happened. He asked FOX 32 not to use his name.

“One of the guys was up against the wall, he had a broken leg and then we realized there was a gunshot victim and at that point, compressed him with the baby blanket, me and some of the people that were on the scene helping him,” the man said.

A woman in the vehicle told the man they were just driving along when another vehicle pulled up on their left side and a man inside fired shots. State Police completely shut down the inbound lanes of the Eisenhower at Racine while they searched for shell casings and other evidence. Traffic was being forced off onto side streets, causing gridlock on the surrounding area and making it a nightmare for commuters.

The shooting, which happened right next to the UIC campus, rattled numerous students.

“Shootings happening everywhere, right beside the university, so that's really, really scary and it's like nightmares to us,” said UIC student Nidhey Pan.

There have now been at least 46 expressways shooting in the Chicagoland area this year, including 11 on the Eisenhower alone.

State Police say they don't have a motive for this most recent one, but they will be looking for any cameras in the area that might indicate whether this started as a road rage incident and if they can identify the other vehicle involved.

“Just thanking God I was at the right place at the right time, thanking God that there was some good Samaritans there with myself that was able to aid them,” the Good Samaritan said.

Eastbound traffic was shut down at Racine until about 5:45 p.m., police said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Illinois State Police at (847) 294-4400. Callers can remain anonymous.