Four people were injured when shots were fired during a funeral procession Saturday afternoon in Oak Park, according to authorities.
In a Facebook post at around 2:25 p.m., Oak Park police said a shooting occurred in the 900 block of Madison Street as part of a funeral procession. According to village officials, the procession was traveling westbound on Madison to a cemetery in Des Plaines when multiple people riding in a white pickup pulled alongside one of the vehicles in the procession and began firing.
"...We did hear two different incidents where there was one loud crash then the pops sounded like something was hitting our glass," said Tara Gero, a witness and the owner of a nearby chiropractic office.
Two passengers were struck and rushed to an area hospital, authorities said. One victim was listed in critical condition, while the other was said to be in critical but stable condition. Two others riding in a second vehicle, also in the procession, were also shot and self-transported to a nearby hospital.
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Multiple shell casings were recovered at the scene, officials said.
Madison was closed in both directions while investigators worked to process the scene and remained shut down late Saturday. Following the shooting, detectives went door to door, looking for potential witness and surveillance video.
Police said the victims were believed to have been targeted, and no bystanders were injured.
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Both neighbors and witnesses told NBC 5 that funeral processions often take place along Madison Street.
"There’s a funeral home one on side and the cemetery on the other, and as the procession came through, my understanding is, there was an argument surrounding a car accident, and then the shooting, which we did hear," stated Gerou.
In a news release, an Oak Park spokesperson, citing police, explained "the standard protocol is for funeral homes to alert law enforcement agencies along the route of potentially high-risk funeral processions so officers can assist with" traffic flow and safety. No alert was given prior to Saturday procession, the spokesperson said.
While it's unclear what led to the violence or who the funeral was for, one resident says shootings are rare in the area.
"it’s a quiet residential neighborhood, really just great Oak Park neighborhood, kinda quiet, good neighbors, yeah. Stuff like this just really doesn’t happen," said Ryan Murphy.
Gerou, meanwhile, said she'll be thinking about those who were injured.
"Obviously my heart goes out to the people who really truly experienced this trauma, but to have such a public safety concern, again, right in front of our business was unnerving," she said.
