Pair sought, believed to be witnesses or potential suspects, in Highland Park shooting
Police are still searching for the two persons of interest in a shooting that left a man injured in Highland Park on Monday night.
The City of Highland Park said the shooting happened around 8 p.m. on the 300 block of Walker Avenue.
Police said Tuesday morning that the gunshot victim was a 30-year-old man who was taken to the hospital in critical condition and that preliminary reports indicated that his condition was improving. They said the shooting is believed to have involved people who knew each other.
The shooting prompted police to order nearby residents to shelter in place for nearly two hours on Monday night as officers, some carrying ballistic shields, K-9 units and drones searched the area. Neighbors were also advised during the order not to open doors to unexpected visitors.
Anthony Riccio, a retired first deputy superintendent from the Chicago Police Department, says a shelter-in-place order is rarely used because it can be alarming to people. However, the order can be helpful by getting people off the streets who are unrelated to the incident.
He says he's not surprised about the order in light of what happened on the Fourth of July in 2022.
"I think, you know, in light of what happened on the Fourth of July a couple years ago in Highland Park, where we had this mass shooting, I think that, quite frankly, they're probably a bit squeamish at the Highland Park Police Department, and they want to err on the side of caution, and I totally understand that," he said.
Around 10:30 p.m., police lifted the shelter-in-place order, saying evidence indicated that offenders had left the area. Though the order was lifted, investigations continued on Tuesday morning.
Highland Park police have released photos of two people they're calling "witnesses or potential suspects." Police say a man and a woman were last seen speaking with the victim before the shooting.
Police said they will not be releasing any further information about the victim out of respect for his privacy.
As of Tuesday, no arrests had been announced, and police had not said what may have led to the shooting.
Though police have said they've identified the persons of interest, they're still urging anyone with information about what happened to contact the Highland Park Police Department.
