Chicago police officer dead, another critically wounded in shooting at Swedish Hospital; suspect in custody

A Chicago police officer was killed and another was “fighting for his life” after being wounded in a shooting Saturday morning at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital, the city’s top cop said.

Police Supt. Larry Snelling told reporters the officers had taken the suspected gunman, who had been arrested earlier on suspicion of robbery, to the hospital “for an observation” around 10:50 a.m.

The officer who was killed was 38 and had worked for the police department for 10 years, Snelling said. The wounded officer, who was being treated at Illinois Masonic Medical Center, is 57 and has worked for CPD for 21 years, Snelling said. The officers’ names have not been released.

The suspected shooter was taken into custody after fleeing the hospital following the shooting, which led to brief warnings to shelter in place in the neighborhood around the hospital at 5140 N. California Ave., according to officials and sources.

“We have a lot to unravel here,” Snelling said at a news conference Saturday afternoon near Illinois Masonic. “And I just want to be clear about one thing: We can talk about the crime and the criminal activity that led up to this. But right now, this is about these officers and their family members. The loss of life, the senseless loss of life of an officer who was out simply to protect the city. Another officer who is fighting for his life, attempting to protect this city.

“These are the dangers of policing.”

It wasn’t immediately clear how the suspected gunman had a gun after he was taken into custody. A surveillance photo obtained by the Sun-Times appeared to show him running naked, with electrodes on his chest.

Endeavor Health, the hospital system that includes Swedish Hospital, said the suspect “was wanded upon arrival” as part of its “public safety weapon detection protocols.” Endeavor noted the suspect was escorted by law enforcement at all times, and no hospital staff or patients were injured.

Police sources initially said the suspected shooter disarmed one of the officers who was shot. But later Saturday, a source said police only realized the suspect was armed when he was stripped down at the hospital, before opening fire.

Snelling said police investigating the shooting had recovered three weapons.

Residents living near Swedish Hospital were told to shelter in place after the shooting. Local Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) said the suspected shooter was taken into custody by 12:10 p.m. Sources said the suspect ran from the hospital and was found nearby.

Mayor Brandon Johnson told reporters Saturday marked “a real difficult moment for our city.”

“It’s a tragedy,” Johnson said, speaking alongside Snelling. “Our officers stand in the way of harm every single day, risking their own lives. And along with them risking their lives, they have family that expect them to come home. One of our officers will not be able to return to their family. And I’m calling on the entire city of Chicago to pray for this officer’s family, and that they heal from this tragedy.”

Shortly after 5 p.m. a blocks-long procession of police vehicles accompanied an ambulance carrying the officer’s body as it made its way to the medical examiner’s office, where a growing crowd of officers and other first responders gathered to pay their respects.

There was near-complete silence outside the medical examiner’s office, 2121 W. Harrison St., as the ambulance, flanked on both sides by several squad cars, slowly made its way down Harrison Street.

A few dozen officers and Chicago Fire Department personnel saluted as the ambulance turned toward the entrance of the medical examiner’s office, and a giant U.S. flag was draped above the street.

“My condolences, man,” one passerby told officers minutes earlier as they waited for the procession to arrive.

Several dozen people gathered for a prayer vigil Saturday evening at Hale Park on the Southwest Side.

Melissa Vera, whose two sons have been police officers for about seven years, called the shooting “a tragedy that shouldn’t happen.”

“I’m gonna take a ride up north [to Illinois Masonic] and do a couple prayers down there,” said Vera, who attended the vigil with her sister, whose son also is a police officer. “… This is what we need to do because I don’t see a silver lining.”

Praying for both officers and their families is “the main thing we can do right now,” said Donna Marquez, a chaplain for CPD whose brother, a Chicago police officer, was killed while on duty in 2002.

“It’s so hard to pray for people who do these kind of things. For me, it’s very hard. … This community, I’m not just saying this, this community loves the police,” Marquez said, leading those attending the vigil to applaud. “And the officers who do it, they know it. And that brings such peace to them, knowing that you people are behind them versus the evil eye.”

Some elected officials also attended the vigil, including Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) and former state Rep. Darren Bailey, the Republican candidate for Illinois governor.

Bailey said while police officers “serve and protect us, we’ve got to do something to protect them.” Without giving specifics, Bailey called out the “many” recent state laws and policies that he said “have pushed [police officers] aside and [degraded] the profession.”

“But right now, we simply need to remember these families,” Bailey said. “We need to remember this life that was lost, we need to pray for the … police officer that’s in the hospital, and we need to unify. And when we unify, when we push aside all of this political divide, we are people.”

David Stevens, 22, who lives on Foster Avenue about a block from Swedish Hospital, said he was at home Saturday morning when he saw squad cars rushing toward the building. He said he walked toward the hospital and saw cops beginning to block off traffic.

About a dozen people were gathered near California and Foster avenues around 1 p.m., watching as tactical officers walked in and out of the hospital.

“I feel sorry for the police officers,” Stevens said. “I hope they and their families are OK.”