01-06-2025
‘This is personal': 7 teens wounded in drive-by shooting in Auburn Gresham after St. Sabina graduation party
Chicago police said seven teens were wounded in an overnight shooting at a large gathering in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood after a St. Sabina graduation party, drawing an angry statement from the church's longtime leader, Father Michael Pfleger,Shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday, officers on patrol in the 1200 block of West 78th Street were trying to disperse a large crowd when a vehicle drove by and someone opened fire. Seven teens were shot before the vehicle fled the scene, police said.
Officers located multiple victims shot in an alley in the 1200 block of west 78th Street who were initially uncooperative, according to a police report. Victims later said that they were leaving a graduation party at St. Sabina Church when three to four people with ski masks exited a black SUV and started shooting. A neighbor also told officers that they saw a person step out of a dark colored SUV and shoot at the victims who were on the sidewalk.
Officers located a rifle found underneath a car and multiple shell casings were also found on the block, according to a police report.
'I'm angry, I'm mad, and I'm disgusted,' Pfleger said in a video on Facebook. 'This is not something you can solve by more programming, more police, by SNAP Curfew, none of that stuff can stop this. 2 o'clock in the morning what's gonna stop this is parents saying 'Where the hell are your kids?''
Pfleger in his statement urged parents to make sure they always know where their kids are, for young people to make wiser choices about what they post on social media and for people stop carrying around guns and embracing gun culture.
'This is personal. This is an attack on St. Sabina. This is an attack on me personally. This is an attack on everything we stand for,' Pfleger said.
Pfleger said that he is planning to offer a $10,000 dollar reward to anyone who catches the suspects of the shooting. He is advising anyone with information on the shooting to call either the police at 312-745-3610 or 773-483-4300
Teens ranging in age from 17 to 19 were taken to area hospitals.
No one was in custody for the drive-by shooting, and detectives were investigating.
The incident also comes about two weeks before St. Sabina is scheduled to do their peace walks, where St. Sabina parishioners walk through the neighborhood every Friday during the summer to prevent gun violence. The walk includes passing out information about social services and job opportunities, among other resources. The first march is scheduled for June 13 at 7 p.m.
