A rideshare driver was shot and critically injured during an attempted carjacking Wednesday in the city’s Austin neighborhood, Chicago police said.
The driver, a 51-year-old man, was dropping off a fare at approximately 10:10 p.m. in the 900 block of North LeClaire Avenue when three males approached him, authorities said.
They men took the driver’s cellphone and told him to get out of the vehicle, police said. When the driver refused, one of the men fired shots, striking the driver in the chest, police added.
According to officials, the victim was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition. No one was in custody.
The shooting comes after a similar incident last week in the same neighborhood, when a Lyft driver was shot and killed after dropping passengers off.
Chicago Police
Jan 2
Homicides, carjackings drop in 2023 according to Chicago police data
chicago crime
Jan 2
4 children left alone on NYE in Chicago; woman charged with child endangerment
chicago news
Jan 1
Chicago reports drops in murders and shootings, uptick in robberies throughout 2023, data reveals
Family members said Arocha Duque, 34, a Lyft driver, was dropping two passengers off at 8:45 p.m. last Tuesday on Thomas Street and Cicero Avenue.
According to Chicago police, officers responded to the 4800 block of West Thomas, where a car had struck two parked vehicles. When they arrived found a woman, later identified as Duque, sitting in the driver’s seat. She had been shot in the head and was pronounced dead on the scene, authorities said.
“Our hearts are with Ms. Arocha-Duque’s loved ones as they confront this unspeakable tragedy,” Lyft said in a statement. “We have reached out to her family to offer our support and are in contact with law enforcement to assist with their investigation.”
According to a community alert issued by police on Friday, at least seven rideshare drivers were robbed in the month of December. In several incidents, the victims were hit in the head with a gun. It wasn’t immediately clear if any of the incidents are connected.
