Chicago

2 Killed in Shooting at South Suburban Convenience Store

Two people were fatally shot at a south suburban convenience store Tuesday night, officials said, in an incident that sparked a police chase into downtown Chicago Wednesday morning.

The shooting took place at around 10:30 p.m. at the Express Drive Thru Food Mart in the 14600 block of South Halsted Avenue in Harvey, officials said.

"There was a group of individuals on the sidewalk, three of them who were talking, and a group of four individuals pulled up in a dark colored SUV," Harvey spokesman Sean Howard said at a news conference.

One of the people in the SUV walked into the store, according to Howard, and the three people outside walked in behind him.

"There was some kind of verbal exchange in the store," Howard said, adding "at some point, the three individuals tried to exit the store, but were met by gunfire from those in the dark colored vehicle. Unbeknownst to them, the occupant who left the vehicle and was inside the store pulled out a gun and began firing as well."

Two people were killed in the shooting, officials said. The Cook County medical examiner's office did not immediately confirm the fatalities and further details, including their identities, were not available.

Howard confirmed that one of the victims was a 19-year-old who was related to Ryan Harris, the 11-year-old girl found raped and murdered in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood in a high-profile case in 1998.

"It's a sadness that just won't go away," he said. "Every few years we hear about this tragedy surrounding Ryan Harris. That family has gone through enough— to now lose another member? Those surviving members, that has to be tough."

State police spotted a black Jeep Cherokee matching the description of the suspects' vehicle in downtown Chicago Wednesday morning and engaged in a pursuit on the belief that it was involved in the shooting, Howard said, adding that "for safety reasons," that chase was called off.

According to authorities, three guns have been recovered, and two individuals involved in the shooting have been apprehended. Police say that three more peopel are still on the run. 

He also said that authorities believe the shooting may have stemmed from an ongoing social media feud between two groups. 

"People with criminal backgrounds got into some nasty exchanges on Facebook," Howard said. "They’re going on Facebook Live, divulging their location, leaving themselves vulnerable to be targeted by gun violence. And the craziest thing: these individuals are 16 to 19 years old. They are babies! But they don't realize the negative impact social media can have that leads to physical incidents."

Police assigned a team of investigators to examine criminal activity on social media over the last few days, Howard said.

No one is in custody in connection with the shooting as authorities continue to investigate.

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