Teen shot in Chicago covered with sheet, initially presumed dead; 6 shot, 1 fatally

CHICAGO -- A woman was killed and five other people wounded in a shooting in the University Village neighborhood Monday morning and one of the wounded was initially presumed dead, Chicago police said.

The shooting took place in the 1300-block of South Loomis Street at about 4:45 a.m. and stemmed from a party, police said. Two vehicles were driving around the block several times when someone started shooting, police said.

One of the shooting victims appeared to be still alive when his body was covered in a sheet. The 17-year-old boy was shot several times in the head and presumed dead by Chicago Fire Department paramedics.

ABC7 Eyewitness News's cameras were on scene for at least 15 minutes before paramedics removed the sheet and began administering CPR. How long the teen actually lay there, still breathing is unknown. He was transported to Stroger Hospital in very critical condition.

Witnesses at the scene were telling officers that the man was still alive.

"That individual has a catastrophic injury," said Chicago Police First Deputy Superintendent Anthony Riccio. "He was shot in the head and the prognosis is not good. I do understand that paramedics looked at him, believed him to be deceased, covered him with that sheet and moved on to another individual who was nearby who was also shot. They saw motion, movement underneath the sheet. Officers who were present notified paramedics, this man is still alive."

According to Chicago EMS protocols, it is paramedics who triage patients when responding to a 911 call. Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago said they still don't know how the teenager was mistaken for dead.

"We're looking into it right now. We're trying to piece everything together. We're looking at the computers where they put down all that information. Paramedics put down that information," Santiago said.

A woman between 20-25 years old was pronounced dead at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds. Police said she was found in the 1400-block of South Washburne Avenue.

A 21-year-old man was shot in the leg and a 23-year-old man was shot in the arm. Both were transported to Stroger Hospital in stable condition, police said.

A 25-year-old man shot multiple times in the abdomen and was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital by his girlfriend and is in stable condition, police said. A sixth victim, a 21-year-old man, was discovered at Rush Hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg. He was treated and released.

Area Central detectives are investigating and a weapon, possibly a Mac-10, was recovered from the scene. Police said there are several surveillance cameras in the area.

Police said none of the surviving shooting victims are cooperating with investigators and the shooting is believed to be related to an ongoing gang dispute in the area.