STORY YOUMISSED
A masked suspect remains at large after fatally shooting a 34-year-old man inside a West Irving Park Road smoke shop late Thursday night.
Chicago police officers launched a homicide investigation after a 34-year-old man was fatally shot inside a Portage Park business on Thursday night.
The violence unfolded at approximately 9:35 p.m. inside a smoke shop located in the 5600 block of West Irving Park Road on the city’s Northwest Side.
Officers assigned to the Jefferson Park Police District were conducting an unrelated traffic stop nearby when a witness flagged them down.
The witness reported seeing a suspicious individual wearing a mask inside the business located at 5612 West Irving Park Road.
Moments later, gunshots echoed from inside the retail establishment.
Responding officers entered the business and discovered a 34-year-old man unresponsive on the floor, suffering from a gunshot wound to the throat.
Emergency medical personnel immediately transported the victim to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in nearby Park Ridge.
Hospital staff pronounced the victim dead at 10:26 p.m., according to records from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office and the police department.
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the 34-year-old victim pending family notification.
A witness on the scene told police they observed a male gunman running away from the smoke shop on foot immediately after the gunfire ceased.
Officers secured the commercial strip along West Irving Park Road as crime scene technicians moved in to gather physical evidence.
No additional injuries were reported inside the business or on the surrounding street during the incident.
No arrests have been made as of Friday morning, and police continue to search the immediate area for suspects.
Detectives are reviewing commercial surveillance footage from neighboring businesses and interviewing potential witnesses who were in the area at the time of the shooting.
The fatal shooting occurred along a busy commercial corridor in the Portage Park neighborhood, surrounded by local restaurants and retail shops.
Community leaders frequently remind business owners and residents to report suspicious activity immediately to help curb violent crime in commercial districts.
Area Five Detectives are leading the ongoing homicide investigation.
