Heavy Police Presence Spotted in Chicago Suburb, Gunfire Reported

Police responded in full force on Monday afternoon to reports of gunfire in a Chicago Suburb. Dolton, Illinois, was the scene of the chaos, near Sibley Boulevard and Chicago Road. The area is reportedly closed at the time of this writing.

Police officers were seen swarming several blocks of Dolton, according to a report by local CBS News affiliate Chicago 2. One police officer was reportedly injured on the scene after shooting at a suspect. He was transported to a hospital in an ambulance, with the nature and severity of his injury unknown.

A police helicopter was also seen circling the area, though so far there is no word on what exactly happened there. A witness told reporters that she heard gunshots and saw a man running from the scene, but authorities have not confirmed her story. She described the suspect as an African-American man in a black hooded sweatshirt, heading northbound.

Gunfire was reported on Sibley Boulevard at around 2:30 p.m. CT, Several other agencies responded as well, including the Illinois State Police. These organizations told reporters that they were assisting the Dolton Police Department with an “active incident.”

So far, live coverage of the scene has revealed little besides the scope of the response to the incident. Hover over the neighborhood, news helicopters filmed backyards and quaint patios, with no sign of any disturbances. However, police cars were littered throughout the community, and the helicopter could be heard buzzing overhead as well.

The footage followed some officers scouring the area, some even leading dogs and carrying rifles. They spoke to neighbors where they found them, but for the most part the area seemed deserted.

Naturally, the the heavy police response and reported gunfire did not sit well with the community due to the recent spat of gun violence around the nation. Social media was concerned too as the story spread through the usual channels.

“What the f— is going on in the burbs?!” one person tweeted. “I just seen like 40 cop cars NO CAP, Dolton, South Holland, Harvey & Chicago state & local s— crazy af cops with Ak-47’s all kinda s—??? Damn.”

The nation is still reeling from a number of recent mass shootings, including three successive ones in Gilroy, California; El Paso, Texas; and Dayton, Ohio. These attacks all involved assault-style firearms that have sparked a debate around the country, as some call for a measure to ban the high-powered weapons.

So far, there is no confirmation that the situation in Dolton is a mass shooting, or that it even began as a shooting, as some early reports mentioned a possible car crash.