Suspect Sought in Facebook Live-Stream Shooting Amid Chicago's Soaring Murder Rate
— -- The suspect who fired multiple gunshots at a Chicago man recording a live-stream video on Facebook is still on the loose, according to Chicago police.
The viral footage first seen last Thursday shows an unidentified man talking about his old Chicago neighborhood. He looks around and can be heard saying, "I need somewhere to duck and hide for cover.”
Shots then ring out and, as his recording device drops to the ground, a person with both hands on a gun appears on camera as more shots are fired.
Police say they are investigating the authenticity of the footage and whether the shooting was gang-related.
"We believe it might be gang-related," Police Officer Jose Estrada told ABC News. "However, at this time, there's no way for us to say for certain."
Estrada confirmed the wounded man remains in the hospital in critical condition. Police have declined to identify him by name.
"We have him listed as a 30-year-old male," Estrada said.
What is known is that the West Englewood neighborhood in which the incident allegedly took place is well-documented as a haven for gang-related activities.
"You have a lot of violence going on over there in that Englewood community," said Tio Hardiman, former executive director of anti-violence organization Ceasefire Illinois.
But Englewood is just a part of the story of America's third-largest city. With reports of at least 31 people shot over the weekend, Chicago's murder rate is on the verge of reaching its highest in years.
The Chicago Police Department notes that there were 133 reported homicides from January to March this year, compared to 77 last year at the same time, and 59 in 2014.
Such a grim reality now greets new interim police superintendent Eddie Johnson, a 28-year veteran with the CPD, handpicked by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Johnson has "everything the city needs," Emanuel said during a news conference last week when he introduced Johnson.
Johnson said, "My expectation is to reduce gun violence here and now.”
