Shooting in Westchester a Case of Mistaken Identity: Police

Westchester, IL — The Tuesday night shooting in Westchester that sent a man and a woman to the hospital was a case of mistaken identity, according to police.

Westchester Police Chief Steven Stelter said they believe the two people were wrongly targeted in the shooting, which was gang related.

"We believe from information we've gotten that the shooter was thinking he was shooting someone else," Stelter said. "There was a local gang member who frequents that home because he's friends with those people, and he thought the male in the car was this gang member, when in fact he wasn't."

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Stelter said police are still searching for a dark sedan with wraparound taillights connected to the shooting, which took place around 9 p.m. July 5 outside a home near Newcastle Avenue and Devonshire Street.

The man and woman were in a car, and they had backed out of a driveway onto the street when the shooter walked up and opened fire.

The woman, 24, was shot in the back three times. She was in surgery for several hours Wednesday, and Stelter said she's recovering. The 24-year-old man was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, and he's also doing well.

"It’s still a very safe community," Stelter said. "This is an isolated incident where a specific person was targeted, it was not a random act. This was an intended target. This person wanted to shoot this person, and that’s all there was."

The Westchester detective division and the West Suburban Major Crimes Task Force are working on the ongoing investigation.

Information about the shooting may be phoned in to Westchester police at 708-345-0060. Callers can choose to be anonymous.

This report will be updated as new information is gathered.