Dramatic footage released by the Evanston Police Department shows the chaotic scene after a man wanted in connection to four separate shooting deaths in Chicago and Evanston was shot and killed after exchanging gunfire with police outside of a suburban store earlier this month.
In the footage, released through a Freedom of Information Act request, Jason Nightengale, 32, is shown sprinting across a street during the incident on Jan. 9, 2021. After he allegedly fired shots at the officers who were pursuing him, officers returned fire, striking Nightengale multiple times.
He was pronounced dead at an area hospital shortly after the shooting, according to police.
The clip is spliced together from several different angles, including from the inside of an Evanston squad car and the body camera footage of multiple Evanston police officers.
In the car-mounted video, Nightengale is seen running across a street, and as he approaches the opposite curb he is struck by gunfire. He immediately collapses to the ground after being hit by multiple shots.
In body-camera footage, an officer is shown discharging their weapon and then approaching Nightengale, who is lying on the ground and bleeding from his wounds.
Another officer’s body camera captured the sounds of gunfire and the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
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WARNING: This footage is graphic and could be disturbing to some viewers. Discretion is advised.
The shooting followed a day-long spree of violence allegedly perpetrated by Nightengale, who killed three people in Chicago before shooting a woman inside of an Evanston IHOP restaurant. That woman later died from her injuries.
The shooting spree began in the 5300 block of South East End Avenue at approximately 1:50 p.m. on Jan. 9 when Nightengale entered a parking garage and fired shots at a 30-year-old man, who was sitting inside a vehicle.
That man, who was later confirmed to be a student at the University of Chicago, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Chicago police.
Approximately 30 minutes later, Nightengale entered an apartment building in the 4900 block of South East End Avenue. He fired shots at a woman, who was serving as a security guard at the building. She was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Another woman, 77, was inside the building retrieving her mail when she was hit by gunfire. She was listed in critical condition at the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said.
The gunman then moved down East End Avenue to another building and pulled a gun on a male victim, whom he knew, according to police. The man pushed the individual into his apartment and demanded the keys to his vehicle, and fled the scene in a red Toyota sedan.
At approximately 3:45 p.m., the suspect drove to the 9300 block of South Halsted Street and entered a retail location, where he announced a robbery. Police say he then fired shots, striking a 20-year-old man in the head. That man was taken to Christ Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An 81-year-old woman inside of the store was shot in the back and neck, and was taken to Christ Hospital, where she was listed in critical condition.
At approximately 5 p.m. the gunman struck again, this time shooting a 15-year-old girl who was riding in a vehicle in the 10300 block of South Halsted Street. The girl was hit in the head, and was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where she was listed in critical condition.
Just five minutes later, Nightengale fired shots at a Chicago police vehicle that was investigating the previous shooting at the CVS location, striking the vehicle. No one was hit during that incident.
Nightengale then allegedly drove northward to a CVS pharmacy near the border of Chicago and Evanston, announcing a robbery Saturday evening. After firing at least one shot there, which did not strike anyone, he fled across the street to an IHOP restaurant.
Once inside, the gunman shot a woman in the head, according to Evanston police. She clung to life for several days after the shooting, but was pronounced dead approximately one week after the shooting.
Nightengale then fired shots at Evanston police and they returned fire. He was hit multiple times by gunfire, and was transported to AMITA Health St. Francis Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police have not identified a motive in the series of shootings, and an investigation remains underway.
