28-year-old Kevin Patel shot dead in US's Chicago neighbourhood: Report
A shooting in Chicago's Lincoln Park left 28-year-old Kevin Patel dead, leaving local residents shook.
A man, identified as Kevin Patel, was found dead with a gunshot wound in Chicago’s Lincoln Park on Wednesday night, a local news website ABC7 Chicago reported, citing police. The man was shot at 9:20pm on Wednesday in the 800-block of Chicago’s West Lill Avenue.
The police said they found a 28-year-old man with a gunshot injury to his chest while responding to the shooting, the report said. The man was declared dead when he was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, the police added.
The Medical Examiner's Officer of the Cook County identified the man as Kevin Patel.
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Bystanders came to Kevin Patel’s aide
Spotting Kevin Patel lying wounded on the sidewalk of Lincoln Park, a man identified as Garrett Moores ran to his aide along with his neighbour. He grabbed towels to control the bleeding while being guided through a 911 call.
"Knew he was shot, so went and grabbed towels and got down here as fast as I could," Abc7 Chicago quoted Garrett Moores as saying.
"They were able to talk me through what I should be doing, compressing his chest, keeping him awake, keeping him breathing a certain way," he added.
This was the first time Moores had to respond to a shooting and aid a wounded person. Patel’s death was particularly distressing for Moore since he tried to help him during his final moments.
Reflecting on that, Moores said, "Trying to give them all the hope you can, trying to calm them down…You almost build a personal relationship with a person in a way, and it was pretty devastating to see that news."
Panic in Lincoln Park neighbourhood
Not just Moores, the shooting has left the entire Lincoln Park neighbourhood shaken and panicked.
Sophia Matheson, a Lincoln Park resident while talking about the incident affected her, told Abc7 Chicago, “"It's the closest physically I've ever been to a death so a little bit of an existential crisis just a realization of how quickly it can be taken away from you and that persons family having to get that call it's devastating."
Another resident, Christopher, said that since the neighbourhood is usually safe, the incident came as a shock. “Definitely a little bit of system shock, we think generally this a safe and nice neighborhood…But then to see all the reports of what's happening in real time, and a window alarming for us,” the report quoted Christopher as saying.
According to witnesses, a man and a woman were seen running away from the shooting site before the police could arrive. No one has been taken into custody yet while the police are investigating the case.
Chicago’s 43rd Ward Alderman Timmy Knudsen has asked people with information about the incident to come forward.
“This is yet another reminder of the work we have to do as a City to combat violence. I've asked the 19th district to increase patrols in the area, and as we head into the summer, I will continue to push City Hall for the resources our Ward needs,” he said in an alert newsletter.
