CTA Bus Driver Helps Out After Man, Woman Shot

Bystanders flagged down a CTA bus for help after a man and a woman were critically shot on the West Side Saturday night.

Both victims, in their mid 20s, were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition from Cermak Road and Rockwell Street at about 7:35 p.m. Saturday night, Fire Media Affairs spokesman Quention Curtis said.

The driver of an eastbound No. 21 Cermak bus called for help to assist a single person who had been shot, and no shots were fired on the bus, said CTA spokesperson Sheila Gregory.

After the bus pulled over, the male victim, who was not a passenger when he was shot, then got onto the bus, said police News Affairs Officer Daniel O’Brien.

Two pools of blood were seen splattered onto the steps inside the entrance area of the bus, which was still parked at the intersection of Cermak Road and Rockwell Street as of 9 p.m. No blood was seen on the seats inside the bus.

A woman also suffered a side graze wound to the chest, said police at the scene of the shooting.

At least six shell casings were also seen at the intersection of Cermak Road and California Avenue about two blocks east of the bus.  From his apartment near California Avenue and Cermak Road, a neighbor said he heard at least four shots fired.

Police were using the California intersection as the location of the shooting, said O’Brien, citing preliminary information.

Crews were still responding to the incident as of 9 p.m. Saturday night, and had roped off portions of both intersections.

Nobody was in custody Saturday night, O’Brien said.

Harrison Area detectives are investigating.

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