A Chicago Water Department employee was shot around 8 a.m. Friday morning while finishing up a job in the city's Wrightwood neighborhood.
Shots were fired at a group of employees that had just finished working on a sewer repair in the 1400 block of West 85th Street and were getting ready to move to next job, Water Department spokesman Gary Litherland said.
Witnesses say the 28-year-old worker was sitting behind the wheel of a parked minivan when another car pulled up and opened fire.
"Soon as he parked, the grey four-door silver car just pulled up next to him, just started shooting for no apparent reason," said LaVerna Dungey, who called 911 after witnessing the shooting. "They had just pulled up. Guy in the van couldn't have been sitting there two seconds."
Witnesses say they heard between four and give shots before the shooter's vehicle sped off down an alley.
Chicago Police News Affairs could not confirm a worker was struck but said a man was shot in the face and transported to an area hospital in fair condition.
Litherland said the worker was the only one injured in the shooting.
"He was a good worker," said Brian Konkoleski with the Water Department. "He got good evaluations and we're all sorry this happened to him."
Konkoleski said the worker is among a group of about 40 construction laborers that are about to finish an apprenticeship program.
"He was supposed to be awarded a trainnig certificate at our awards ceremony up north," he said. "Nobody seems to know why it happened."
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A man who claims to be the victim's brother declined to comment on the shooting, but said his brother is going to be OK.
Chicago Police are investigating the incident.
