Two shot in Lakeview overnight, possible hate crime

Fri. August 5, 2016 12:45 PM by GoPride.com News Staff

Friends tell NBC5 they believe they were targeted because they are gay

Chicago, IL - A man and teenage boy were injured in a drive-by shooting in Lakeview early Friday morning. One of the victims reportedly identifies as transgender. 

According to police, the shooting happened around 3:15 a.m. at the corner of Belmont and Sheffield avenues near Berlin Nightclub. Witnesses said a silver SUV opened fire on the group of about 15 to 20 people.

While police have not identified the incident as an official hate crime, friends told NBC5 they believe the two were targeted because they are gay.

"You know, we can't hang out on the South Side because we already deal with this. We can't hang out on the West Side. Now we're up here where the clubs are and we feel comfortable, and it still happens," Jaleel Carter told NBC5. 

The 25-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy were taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Both had been shot in the legs and remain in stable condition.

Police did not have anyone in custody as of Friday morning.
 

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