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CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) – A Chicago police officer was killed in a seemingly random shootout, which also seriously injured one of his friends early Saturday as they were getting into their car after a night spent in River North town.
The detectives were interviewing a person of interest on the shooting that had left police officer John P. Rivera 23 years old, but the police were still looking for at least two other people – including the shooter who was remained free on Saturday afternoon.
"What we know about this incident up to now is really disgusting," said Supt. Eddie Johnson told the Chicago Police Headquarters. "Mark my words: we'll find them."
Rivera, a police officer from Gresham District who reportedly scored two years in the force in May, went to the popular nightlife district with another officer after completing his night shift on Friday. said Johnson.
They left the Stout Barrel House with two friends, a man and a woman, and entered a Honda Civic parked in the North Clark 700 block around 3:30 am, police said.
It was when at least three unknown men approached the car and, without an exchange of words, one of them took out a firearm to shoot in the car before fleeing. announced the police.
The surveillance video showed that the firing group had targeted the car of the guards, and Johnson said the shots "appeared to be random".
Nothing was removed from the occupants of the car and police said the two groups did not seem to have met earlier in the night.
"It seems like an unprovoked attack against a group of individuals who went out to relax on a Friday night," he said.
Officers from the nearby patrol heard the shots, saw people running and reacted in seconds, police said. They immediately arrested two people, one of whom was released.
Rivera, a resident of Hegewisch, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with gunshot wounds to the chest, arms and mouth, officials said. He was pronounced dead about 20 minutes later.
The 23-year-old man sitting behind the car in the car, but who is not an officer, was shot in the chest and arms, the police said. He was in critical condition "but stable" and was operated on Saturday morning.
The other officer on leave and the woman in the car were not injured, police said.
During his Friday night shift, Rivera handled the paperwork in a murder case and "helped comfort a family after an unthinkable loss," Johnson said.
Rivera had also accompanied Johnson's son, another officer from Gresham District, where the director began his own career.
The detectives were still spending hours watching more videos of the filming area, flooded with surveillance cameras.
Johnson lamented the loss of a young police officer who was "very excited, very eager to serve," with "all his life and his career ahead of him".
"It's the kind of officer we want in Chicago, a hard worker who loved patrolling and solving problems," Johnson said. "When you come for the first time, you want to make a difference, that's why you accept this work."
Shortly before 8 am, Chicago firefighters raised the American flag on Harrison Street outside the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.
The officers came out of their vehicles and entered the field with the firefighters to celebrate a memorial moment.
"It's a very sad day, we mourn the loss of another Chicago policeman," President of the Order Fraternal of Police said Saturday morning in front of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, adding that despite the sadness of Department, Department will go out and do their job 'today.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire and Chicago Sun-Times 2019. All rights reserved.This document may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.)
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