Two shootings in less than 24 hours at nearly same place on Eisenhower Expressway
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two shootings happened less than a day apart on the same stretch of the Eisenhower Expressway.
Illinois State Police are investigating a deadly shooting that happened on Tuesday, and a shooting with injuries Wednesday morning.
In light of those incidents, CBS 2 wanted to know how the multimillion-dollar camera and license plate reader network is helping with those investigations. CBS 2's Tara Molina brought those questions to state police Wednesday.
We have had 42 shootings on Cook County expressways so far this year. How many of those investigations do state police have led to an arrest?
Only five.
A crime scene blocked off the Eisenhower at Cicero early Tuesday. One person was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following a shooting.
That latest shooting happened around 5:15 a.m. Wednesday. Police had the road back open by 7 a.m.
This was the second shooting at virtually the same site in less than 24 hours. Just feet away, investigators had the same stretch of road blocked off after a shooting just after 11:45 a.m. Tuesday.
In that incident, a man was killed and a woman got herself to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries in a shooting.
"It's very scary," said AJ Johnson, whose mother lives nearby.
As to any leads on a shooter, whether the two shootings were connected, or whether the shooter was believed to be on the expressway or a residential road nearby, state police would not answer those questions. They said there is an ongoing investigation.
But state police did address a few other questions – including some about how hundreds of license plate readers - unblinking eyes on our expressways - are helping them respond to, investigate, and solve crimes like the two we've seen in 24 hours on the Ike:
"At this time, 319 ALPRs have been installed in the Chicago area. Approximately $20 million is also appropriated for additional ALPRs in 22 counties, which includes Cook and surrounding counties. The ALPRs are part of a multifaceted approach to combating expressway violence. ISP uses a combination of technology, air assets, forensic science, and an increased uniformed presence to combat expressway violence. Since ALPRs have been installed, we've seen a decrease in the number of overall shooting, including the number of injury shootings and homicides, along with an increase in traffic stops, arrests, guns recovered, and recovered vehicles."
Meanwhile, state police also provided a breakdown of expressway shooting statistics and clearance rates.
State police said the number of expressway shootings so far this year are down 43 percent compared with the same timeframe last year, and 49 percent compared with 2021. Shootings with injuries are also down, state police said.
In 2022, state police said, there were 140 shootings reported on Chicago area expressways. As of Wednesday, charges had been brought in 24 cases, and 52 have been closed.
State police emphasized that investigations span months and even years depending on the complexities of each case. To that point, charges were filed in 11 cases from past years in 2022, state police said.
In 2023, as of Wednesday, charges had been brought in five cases, and three had been closed. One homicide and one attempted homicide had been charged.
State police pointed out that this figure includes shootings that happened just a few days ago – and again emphasized that investigations can span months and years. Charges have been filed this year in six shootings that happened in previous years – including one homicide, state police said.
One arrest in an expressway shooting was made on Wednesday. Alton Mills, 54, of Evergreen Park was charged with three counts of attempted murder in a shooting on the northbound entrance ramp to Interstate 57 from 147th Street in south suburban Posen.
Multiple shots were fired from one vehicle toward another in that incident – leaving a back-seat passenger in the second car with life-threatening injuries, state police said.
State police added that they have worked to reduce violence by increasing firearm enforcement efforts – which includes grants to local police agencies.
State Police are still investigating the deadly shooting on the Eisenhower on Tuesday, and the shooting there on Wednesday morning.
