Police: Reports of Gunfire Center Around ETHS

A map showing every location where someone reported hearing shots fired from January to June 2013 shows that most of those reports cluster around Evanston Township High School. 

Released by the Evanston Police Department, the map shows that police investigated 43 reports of shots fired during the first half of the year. Well over half of callers who reported hearing gunfire told police it happened somewhere within the 77th 74th police beats, situated just north and just south of the high school. 

Police cautioned that the map depicts calls of shots fired, not incidences where police could actually proved that someone had fired a gun.

“In many cases, police responded and were unable to locate any evidence and witnesses indicating that a firearm was actually discharged,” police said. “This needs to be considered when interpreting this map, and the possibility that some calls received may be fireworks related, but the inability to prove or disprove this is not possible.” 

Recently, police arrested a 21-year-old Evanston man whom they say fired a gun after two people got into a dispute across from the high school on Tuesday, June 11. Police found several shell casings in the front yard of a home in the 1600 block of Dodge Avenue, indicating that a second weapon was used during the fight, according to police. The second person believed to be involved was taken into custody, but witnesses could not identify him as being involved, police said.