With more gunfire on the Eisenhower Expressway, expert says Chicago has a big problem
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Memorial Day Weekend is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year - and just in time for it, we are following another shooting on Chicago-area expressways.
This latest incident of gunfire was the third on the Eisenhower Expressway in weeks. CBS 2's Tara Molina brought the latest developments to experts.
The shooting incident happened around 9:20 p.m. Sunday on the inbound Eisenhower near Western Avenue. Shots were fired from a vehicle, but no injuries were reported.
The eastbound lanes of the expressway were closed during following the shooting, but all were reopened by 1 a.m. Monday.
The gunfire left shell casings on the highway and bullet holes in a black Dodge Charger. It was the third time we have seen such a scene on the Eisenhower over the past two weeks – the earlier two incidents happened near Cicero Avenue.
By the daylight hours Monday, the Eisenhower was back to normal. But we are a ways away from normal, according to DePaul University professor and transportation expert Joe Schwieterman.
"The frequency of these shootings is really what's alarming to people," Schwieterman said. "We are seeing a pattern here - and it's starting to affect decisions, how people drive; when they come in the city. All that weighs on our economy; our people."
We learned there are 319 license plate readers rolling on Chicago expressways right now. A spokesperson for the Illinois State Police said the license plate readers are helping in investigations into shootings like the recent ones on the Eisenhower - but Schwieterman said more help could be needed.
"I think technology is going to have to help us solve this problem, because we're now seeing an escalation again after we thought we maybe had the problem under control," he said.
We have tracked 45 shootings on Chicago area expressways so far this year.
According to Illinois State Police, just over 43 percent of those shootings involved injuries - people were hurt.
Last year, we saw 68 in the same timeframe, so we are in a better spot.
But this year, Schwieterman says the three very recent shootings need to be taken seriously - and not just by police.
"It's a holiday weekend. People are trying to enjoy themselves," he said. "The fact they have to be cognizant of the risks of being on a highway not just for traffic accidents, but shootings, really hurts the image of our city; hurts the morale of the people trying to get on with their lives. I know the new mayor is going to have to make this a priority, because people are demanding solutions."
As of late Monday, state police did not have an update on how many shootings this year have resulted in arrests. At our last check, there were only five - for all of 2023 to date.
"This chronic highway shooting problem? Something Chicago has got to solve," Schwieterman said. "The disturbing part is, it's hard to track down the perpetrators. The level of frustration is really growing."
State Police said of the latest shooting on the Eisenhower, "This investigation is ongoing and no further information is available."
