Early morning shots fired in Avondale

I said I wouldn't do a post today, but after all of the shots fired last night and early this morning, I couldn't help but to. An officer on Beat car 2521 (around 10pm) last night said there would be more shots fired, and he was right. At 2:09am, two shots were fired at 3650 W Diversey. Then, another call of 2 shots fired came in at George and Lawndale, then last but not least, the 2800 block of N Ridgeway (my sister called this one in). 3 shots on that call. We've also had shots fired in the 2900 block of N Hamlin last night. I'm guessing the police checked this out, saw nothing and coded it because there was no paper done, at least to my knowledge.

Then, at 2:26am, we heard another shot, but since there was only one, we didn't bother calling it in. Just after 3am, there was another shot fired.

I wonder what this shooting crap is all about. It's probably gang related, for one thing. But, just because there's a rivalry going on does NOT give them the right to FIRE SHOTS, especially at 2am, when people are trying to sleep. I will be contacting the 25th district commander sometime today or tomorrow regarding the shots fired. I'm going to make an attempt to talk to him about putting a couple of more of patrols in this area. I'll talk to him about putting a foot patrol in the neighborhood for all times this summer. I feel we really need some extra police presence in the area this summer. It's not even summer yet and already violence is breaking out beyond control (in my opinion).

We haven't had one Homicide in the neighborhood this year (knock on wood), but with all of these shots fired, our luck may soon run out. Until then, here is what I recommend for all citizens to remain safe:

* After 9pm, if you need to be somewhere, don't walk alone. Have someone be with you in case trouble comes.
* Pay attention to your surroundings at all times. This includes not having headphones on your ears, talking on your cell phone, etc.
* If you see gangbangers in crowds more than three, call 911. I know, that's a very small crowd, but now, even one can cause all hell to break loose.
* Beware of suspicious activity. This includes gangbangers standing on corners for too long, people looking into cars, etc. If you witness this, call 911.
* At night, try your best at all costs to stay off blocks such as the 2900 block of N. Hamlin, 2800 block of N. Ridgeway (where all of the shots have been fired recently), and streets such as George and Lawndale.
* Carry some mace, or another legal weapon, with you if you need to be out at night. This way, if you're approached by an unwanted person, you can do something. Or, if you don't feel like getting in trouble, perhaps, call 911.
* Keep your kids, especially the ones under 10, indoors after 9pm. I don't care if the curfew isn't until 10pm (Sunday through Thursday) or 11pm (Friday and Saturday). You're asking for trouble if you're out after dusk, especially on the warmer nights. You want your kids to be safe, right?

If you follow any and all steps, you should be safe. Again, if you hear more than one gunshot at once (this can also apply to fireworks), call 911. In nearly all cases, the police will respond.

Shots fired near Diversey/Kedzie late last night
Avondale erupts in gunfire ... AGAIN
More shots fired in Avondale last night
Shooting on Diversey late last night
Two shootings in Avondale ... IN ONE DAY!!
Shooting at Diversey and Albany last night
Another day, another shooting
Shooting on Diversey and Lawndale
16 yr old shot down in Logan Square