A recent string of armed robberies — occurring as victims walk down the street — on Chicago's North and West sides has left residents on edge and concerned about their safety.
"I walk with one of my friends," one resident told NBC 5. "I don't walk alone."
"I live with my girlfriend and I won't let her even walk to the Walgreens by herself," another said. "Just trying to be as safe as possible."
According to Chicago police, around 9 p.m. Sunday, a man and a woman were walking in the West Loop near Randolph and Aberdeen streets when they were mugged by two men brandishing guns. The men then took off in a dark colored sedan, officials say.
Shortly after that, a woman was held up at gunpoint near Wicker Park, at Blackhawk Street and Greenview Avenue, when men jumped out of a dark sedan and took her belongings.
30 minutes later, in Greek Town, a similar incident was reported.
"Even when things seem to be getting better, we need to stay vigilant, we need to be proactive," Armando Chacon, President of the West Central Association said.
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According to Chacon, the area is pushing for more resources, like more street lights, offering self-defense classes, and possibly hiring private security. Additionally, a number of public safety meetings are being planned for both residential and business members of the community.
Chicago police are also investigating a similar rash of armed robberies that occurred Friday, in the city's Logan Square and West Town neighborhoods, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
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According to officials, in those incidents, a group of two to four people brandished handguns and stole property from at least 10 people, three of whom were struck on the head with a gun.
The robberies occurred between 12:45 a.m. and 2:30 a.m., with three of them reported within about five minutes in Logan Square and West Town, according to police.
Here's when and where six of those robberies occurred:
- About 12:45 a.m. in the 2100 block of West Cullerton Street
- About 1 a.m. in the 2600 block of West Iowa Street
- About 1:05 a.m. in the 900 block of North Western Avenue
- About 1:19 a.m. in the 800 block of North Rockwell Street
- About 1:21 a.m. in the 3400 block of West Armitage Avenue
- About 1:25 a.m. in the 3600 block of West Shakespeare Avenue
The suspects are described by police as Black males, aged 15 to 30 years old. They wore dark clothes and ski masks and were armed with dark semi-automatic handguns. The group fled in a vehicle after each incident, police said.
Those incidents were reported between 2 a.m. and 2:45 a.m., in the following locations:
- About 2 a.m. in the 1000 block of North Spaulding Avenue
- About 2:10 a.m. in the 900 block of North Damen Avenue
- About 2:15 a.m. in the 1500 block of West Augusta Boulevard
- About 2:45 a.m. in the 3000 block of West Palmer Boulevard
Officials are reminding residents to be aware of their surroundings, and if they are confronted, to remain calm and comply with demands.
