Investigating Eastgate Gunfire: Witnesses, Police Respond to Two Incidents
Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Police are investigating two instances of gunfire Thursday evening in the Eastgate neighborhood. They may or may not be related, police said in a statement Friday after eNews Park Forest asked about these events.
A resident told ENEWSPF she heard both incidents.
First Instance of Gunfire
On Thursday, September 7, around 5:03 PM, officers responded to the 200 block of Arrowhead Street to investigate a report of gunfire.
Dispatchers said witnesses reported three men running from the area. Police were told to watch for a grey sedan fleeing the area.
Police stopped three subjects matching the description. They ranged in age from 18-23 years. These young men reported hearing the gunfire and said they were running to check on their family and friends, according to police. Police checked them for weapons with negative results. The men said they were not involved in the incident and had no information to provide police.
After a continued search of the area, officers located 12 spent 9mm shell casings in the roadway between 226 and 232 Allegheny.
Detectives are currently following up with video surveillance in the area. No one reported property damage or gunshot victims from this incident. Police did not find any gunshot victims or related property damage either.
Second Gunfire Incident, Plus an Overturned Car
In the second incident the same night, at approximately 1822 hours, police responded to the 250 block of Allegheny for the report of shots fired around 6:22 PM. Dispatch further advised a vehicle had crashed and overturned in the front yard on the 250 block of Allegheny. PF Officers arrived on scene and located the driver and sole occupant of the overturned vehicle.
The driver, a Sauk Village resident, reported driving on Allegheny and hearing numerous gunshots. Due to the gunshots, the driver ducked his head while driving and left the roadway, losing control of his vehicle. His car subsequently flipped into a front yard.
The driver exited his car and saw a woman outside her home. She allowed him to use her phone to call for help.
Detectives responded to the scene and found shell casings in the roadway near 252 Allegheny. They also discovered bullet holes on the overturned vehicle, according to police. Finally, they found bullet holes in the residence of 252 Allegheny and other parked unoccupied cars.
Police found no gunshot victims in this second incident. Detectives are also following up on this.
Police do not know if there is a connection between these events.
The Park Forest Investigations Division is currently investigating both incidents.
