Fatal shooting in former ShotSpotter zone went unreported for 30 minutes

A man fatally shot in an Archer Heights alley late Tuesday went undiscovered for about half an hour because no one called 911 to report the gunfire. The alley where the shooting occurred was previously monitored by the city’s ShotSpotter gunfire detection system until Mayor Brandon Johnson ended Chicago’s contract with the company in September 2023.

The 28-year-old victim was found shortly after 11:30 p.m. behind the first block of West 44th Street, police said. A 911 caller told dispatchers they had heard gunfire around 11:02 p.m. But they didn’t call for help until about 30 minutes later, when they looked outside and saw a man bleeding and lying on the ground. Officers arrived to find the victim dead next to a Lime scooter and a single shell casing, according to preliminary information. Police have not released any details about a suspect or possible motive.

ShotSpotter can instantly alert police to gunfire and provide an exact location of shootings, even when residents do not call 911.

Tuesday’s shooting happened in the 14th Ward, represented by Ald. Jeylu Gutierrez, who was among 36 City Council members who voted last year to keep the ShotSpotter network operating. Despite the council’s support, Johnson rejected renewal of the contract, allowing the service to lapse on September 23, 2023.

About this series

At 12:01 a.m. on September 23, 2024, Chicago officially ended its use of ShotSpotter, the gunfire detection system that operated in the city’s most violence-plagued neighborhoods. The technology provided Chicago police with precise alerts about gunfire, often down to exact street addresses or specific spots like alleys, sidewalks, and gangways.

Mayor Brandon Johnson pressed ahead with the shutdown despite pleas from most aldermen, many residents, victims’ advocates, and even his own police superintendent, who wanted to keep it in place.

On this page, CWBChicago tracks cases where people were found shot in areas formerly covered by ShotSpotter—incidents where the system could have played a vital role in providing a timely response, especially when no 911 calls were made or callers gave vague or inaccurate details about gunfire locations.

Editor’s note: A case previously listed as #13 has been removed as of May 21, 2025, after the Cook County Medical Examiner determined the individual died by suicide in a fall from height.