Shootings Follow Fireworks

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jul 4, 2008 2:50PM

The city continues to lose its ever-lovin' mind as four people were shot in the Loop Thursday night, one fatally, as roughly a million people left Grant Park following the city's annual lakefront fireworks display. The gunshots sent the crowd of celebrators scattering for cover behind cars. The first shooting happened near Dearborn and Van Buren. Courtney Thomas, 20, was shot in the head around 10:40 p.m. and pronounced dead shortly thereafter at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Moments later, there was another shooting nearby at Clark and Van Buren where a 17-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the arm. He was treated and released. Two more young men were shot close to that scene: one in the butt and one suffering a grazed bullet to the head. Again, both were treated and released. As of this morning, police are holding a suspect whom they believe to be responsible for all three shootings, which were likely gang-related. [Trib, S-T, CBS2]