5 people shot in Austin neighborhood

Five people were shot Tuesday night in the West Side Austin neighborhood.

At 8:48 p.m., a male walked up to five people in the 200 block of South Lotus, opened fire and ran away, according to Chicago Police.

An 16-year-old boy was shot in the knee, a 19-year-old woman suffered gunshot wounds to the back and arm and a 20-year-old woman was shot in the arm, police said. They were taken to Stroger Hospital.

Also, a 39-year-old woman was shot in the leg and an 18-year-old man was shot in the leg, police said. They were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital.

All five victims were in serious condition, police said.

About a dozen residents milled outside crime scene tape blocking off Lotus between Adams and Quincy. Detectives shone flashlights outside a convenience store.

A woman trying to walk home flagged down an officer as the crime scene blocked her path.

“We just had five people shot and there are shell casings everywhere,” the officer said. “You’ll have to walk around.”

A man who identified himself only as William, a former resident of the neighborhood who has since moved to the western suburbs, said that the stretch of Lotus south of Madison is a busy drug market throughout the week.

Acquaintances told him the shooting stemmed from a dispute over money.

“Cars line up and down this street every day with people looking to score,” he said.