3 killed, 19 others wounded in Chicago shootings this weekend

Following a recent dip in gun violence as the city withstood a polar vortex, at least 22 people were shot in Chicago this weekend — including two killed and five wounded in a drive-by outside a Far South Side bar.

At 2:01 a.m. Sunday, at least one shooter inside a silver Ford unleashed a hail of gunfire at a mass of people outside Reynold’s Lounge, 938 E. 75th St, in the Grand Crossing neighborhood, according to Chicago police.

Four men and three women in the crowd, which had spilled out there after a fight inside the bar, were struck, police said.

Marvin Powell, 36, was shot in his neck and chest, and later died at the University of Chicago Medical Center, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. He lived in South Shore.

Jeremy Carothers, 39, was shot in the chest and back, and died at the same hospital, authorities said. He lived in the Park Manor neighborhood.

Another man, 36, remains in critical condition at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn with a gunshot wound to the back, police said. The fourth man, 18, was shot in the shoulder and brought himself to University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.

Two of the women, 36 and 35 years old, were taken to St. Bernard Hospital in good condition, police said. The third woman, 33, declined medical treatment for a graze wound to the arm.

Police said it is unknown whether the seven people were the actual targets and whether they were part of the fight inside.

Another gun murder unfolded later that morning in the South Side Washington Park neighborhood.

The man thought to be between the ages of 30 and 35 was found at 5:24 a.m. in the 6000 block of South Michigan after suffering gunshot wounds to his left side, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner’s office didn’t immediately confirm his death.

Police said officers were unable to find any witnesses to the shooting.

In the 30 minutes preceding the Reynold’s Lounge attack, at least four other shootings were reported in the city.

Those shot include a 17-year-old boy wounded at 1:28 a.m. by a drive-by shooter in Archer Heights, a man hit by a bullet at 1:32 a.m. outside the 79th Street station of the CTA Red Line, a man attacked inside an alley at 1:35 a.m. in Fifth City and a man discovered in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds in Englewood.

Also that night, another shooting that wounded multiple people was reported in the West Town neighborhood.

At 3:55 a.m., two males fired at two woman and a man as they were leaving the parking lot of the BP gas station at 101 N. Western Ave., police said. The women, 30 and 29 years old, were sitting in a vehicle and the man, 26, was about to also get inside.

A police source said the man was possibly the intended target.

The 30-year-old woman was struck in the back and taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said. The other woman was shot in the hand and brought to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition. The man was hit in the lower backside and taken to Stroger Hospital.

The bulk of the weekend’s gun violence happened from Friday night to just before dawn Sunday. No shootings were reported Friday evening, Sunday afternoon or early Monday morning.

The weekend began at 5 p.m. Friday and concluded 5 a.m. Monday. During that period, gun violence in the city ramped up considerably after a relatively quiet week.

When the polar vortex swept Chicago with subzero temperatures from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 10 p.m. Thursday night, only two shootings were reported.

Last weekend, at least eight people were wounded and none were killed, marking 2019’s first weekend with no reported gun murders.