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Chicago shooting spree ends after man with concealed carry license takes down attacker
Image Source: YouTube screenshot

Chicago shooting spree ends after man with concealed carry license takes down attacker

Chicago police said this week that if it weren't for a good guy with a gun, a criminal who shot and killed one woman and injured two others on Independence Day may have gotten away with the heinous attack.

What happened?

According to the Chicago Tribune, officers were alerted to an active shooting in a South Austin alley at around 10:45 p.m. Sunday. A police notification said that a man in his 30s had approached the area and "began shooting at the victims."

By the time police arrived, they discovered four people wounded by gunfire. But after assessing the scene, officials reportedly determined that one of the wounded individuals was the gunman who had opened fire on the three others before an uninvolved bystander had stepped in to neutralize the attacker.

The uninvolved bystander — a 49-year-old man with a concealed carry license — had reportedly witnessed the attack and quickly responded by drawing his weapon and shooting at the gunman, striking him in the arm and the hip.

Woman Killed In South Austin Shooting, Concealed Carry Witness Shoots Offenderwww.youtube.com

The Tribune reported that the three victims in the attack included a 45-year-old woman, Janina Ford, and a 32-year-old man and a 49-year-old man whose identities have not been made public.

Ford was shot in the head during the attack and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The two others suffered gunshot wounds to their bodies. They were both taken to a nearby hospital where their conditions have stabilized.

The attacker, later identified as 34-year-old Calvin Gonnigan, was also taken to nearby Stroger Hospital and listed in serious condition. While at the hospital he was "placed in custody," police said.

On Wednesday, the Chicago Police Department announced that Gonnigan had been charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated assault, and two counts of attempted first-degree murder — all felonies.

Anything else?

The violence came as a part of a particularly bloody Fourth of July weekend in the Windy City as more than 100 residents were shot and 17 were killed. Sadly, the holiday violence was only a continuation of what Chicagoans have been experiencing for over a year.

Yet in the face of soaring crime, Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot has continued to blame guns and systemic racism for the city's woes and has called for increased gun control to help curb the violence. However, in this case, taking the gun out of a good guy's hand would only have led to further violence.

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