Man, 49, shot by stranger asking for cigarette in South Shore

A man was shot after rebuffing two people trying to a bum a cigarette from him Sunday morning in the South Shore neighborhood on the Far South.

At 2:51 a.m., the 49-year-old left a store in the 1700 block of East 78th Street and crossed paths with two males he did not know, according to Chicago police. As he was walking away, they found him again and asked for a cigarette.

When the 49-year-old said no, one of the males shot him in the left arm, police said. He was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition.