Three weeks after two women were injured by gunfire during a White Sox game, Chicago police have not released any additional information or provided insight into where the investigation stands, NBC Chicago’s Bennett Haeberle reports.
Three weeks after two women were injured by gunfire during a White Sox game, Chicago police have not released any additional information or provided insight into where the investigation stands.
Questions about where the gunfire originated or who might be responsible still remain unanswered.
In an email this week to NBC 5 Investigates, a CPD spokesman wrote: “no update is available.”
Chicago police declined to answer NBC 5 Investigates’ follow-up questions about if detectives were still interviewing witnesses. The department has also denied much of our public records requests for additional documents on the incident, citing an ongoing investigation.
The shooting Aug. 25 incident, which happened in the outfield seats of Guaranteed Rate Field left two women – a 42-year old and a 26-year old – with injuries from gunfire. A bullet recovered at the scene was reportedly handed over to White Sox security, according to the doctor who treated the two women at the ballpark.
According to a copy of the police report, the 42-year old victim sustained gunshot wound to her leg. The 26-year old woman had a graze wound.
NBC 5 Investigates spoke to the 42-year old woman by phone briefly Friday.
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When asked if she had learned anything more about what transpired, she said “no” and added she had “no other comment,” referring additional questions to her attorney. Her attorney, John Malm, did not respond to emails or a phone call seeking comment.
But in a previous statement, Malm said the following:
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“Our client underwent emergency medical treatment for a gunshot wound she received while attending a baseball game," he stated. "She denies bringing a firearm into the stadium and further denies having anything to do with the discharge of a firearm at the stadium. We have reviewed photographic evidence and x-rays of our client’s injuries with firearms and medical experts who confirm the gunshot wound our client sustained was not self-inflicted and was not the result of her accidentally discharging a firearm. We will continue investigating this matter to pursue justice on behalf of our client who sustained serious personal injuries as a result of this shooting.”
Video released by the White Sox of the outfield bleachers shows what happened – with people seated in the outfield seats standing up and signaling for help in the moments after the shooting.
The video does not show or help explain where the gunfire originated.
On Aug. 28, while speaking to reporters, Chicago Police Interim Superintendent Fred Waller said that police were investigating all possibilities, but that the gunfire more likely came from inside the ballpark.
“It coming from outside is something that we’ve almost completely dispelled, but we are still looking at every avenue,” he said.
But days later, on Aug. 31, saying he spoke with police, White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf told reporters the opposite – that the gunfire more likely came from outside the stadium.
“… I don't want to influence the police's decision, but the fact is based upon the information available to us, I see virtually no possibility that the gunshots came from within the ballpark,” Reinsdorf said.
NBC 5 Investigates spoke to Dr. Jeanne Farnan this week, who happened to be at the game that night and initially treated the women on scene.
She also said she left her information for police but hasn’t heard back yet.
“The woman who had the gunshot wound was quite distressed and was sweaty and sort of, you know, in a little bit of panic. The other woman was tearful and in pain, so they were both very shocked about what had happened,” Farnan said.
When asked about whether she expected to hear from police she said she didn’t know.
“I mean, I was there after the fact certainly, but I can like tell them at least … what the situation was like in terms of entry and exit wounds. And I'm sure that my colleagues at UC (University of Chicago Hospital) provided them with that information as well. But I mean, just the lay of the land of where they were that night and where people were positioned situated may have been useful … I guess,” Farnan said.
Here's what we have learned:
Security entrance video of all the fans who were sitting in the outfield section was sent to Chicago police, and according to a source, there were no security triggers at the entrance metal detectors for any fan sitting in that section.
A police report obtained by NBC 5 Investigates shows that at 8:12 p.m., less than an hour after the shooting, the Chicago Police Department's head of patrol “was requesting that the White Sox stop the game for public safety reasons.” Waller later said while that request was made, the game was allowed to continue to not induce panic.
A White Sox spokesman said Friday via email that any updates on the shooting will come from police, not the team.
