Shooting last night at 5480 Cornell

A reader has emailed to report:

Man shot by another man in my apt. building at 5480 Cornell last night. Shooting was in self defense, victim of shooting was threatening to break shooter's skull with a vodka bottle.

Thanks to the reader for sending for the news tip.

October 19: Additional details:

A 24-year-old Hyde Park resident who was registered at one time as a U of C student is in critical condition after being shot in the chest during an altercation with a neighbor Wednesday night. The neighbor, 48, was found by the state attorney to have acted in self-defense, and no charges will be filed.

“Apparently the 24-year-old guy and his friend were in the lobby around 7:30, extremely drunk, and came up to the man while he was checking his mail and made fun of him for being fat,” said Brian Hinkle (A.B. ’07), who also lives in their apartment building at 5480 South Cornell Avenue. “They then went up in the elevator with him, continuing to yell at him and then pushed him.”

ccording to police, the men followed the 48-year-old, whom Hinkle was able to identify by the first name Everett, into the fourth-floor hallway and then “verbally and physically assaulted him,” at one point striking him with a vodka bottle.

“The 24-year-old threatened the 48-year-old, started hitting him, yelling at him, and then followed the older man down the hallway,” said Chicago Police Officer JoAnn Taylor.

As the older man tried to enter his apartment, his younger assailant kicked in the door behind him and continued to attack him. The older man then retrieved a gun from inside his apartment and shot the 24-year old.

“By virtue of being a security guard, the guy had a .38 snub nose revolver in his apartment, so he grabbed it and shot him once in the chest,” Hinkle said. “It’s actually a miracle he’s alive; the bullet went in right near his heart. When my neighbor came out to perform first aid she thought he was dead because he didn’t get up at all.”

Additional details are now available here and here.

UC Fraternities causing disturbance

Representatives from several campus fraternities met with University administrators Friday to discuss ongoing issues of residential disturbances resulting from fraternity parties. The meeting, called at the request of the Chicago Police Department (CPD), was prompted by recent complaints of vandalism and noise that were filed by residents living along South University Avenue. more

Safest public transportation Hyde Park to downtown

Jennifer asked the safest way to travel to and from downtown from Hyde Park. The answers vary.. most settle on the #6, but others suggest the #55 to the red line or green line. Only one mention of the metra electric. Some highlights:

• The 6 is probably the safest, because you get on it and it takes you straight here.
  
• 28X, 2, and 173 are equally good but they don't come as often.
  
• If you're traveling alone at night, avoid the 47th, 51st, Garfield, and 63rd stops on the Green Line and definitely avoid the Red Line's 51st stop
• The Metra is great if you have a schedule, and probably the safest (besides a taxi)
• Consider the 4. It runs along Cottage Grove to 35th street, then goes onto Indiana, and then north to Michigan. ...by taking the 4, you'll avoid having to walk through all of Hyde Park in the dead of night.

Sexual assault

At 10:38 p.m., Friday, Sept. 28, on Kimbark Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, a woman was confronted in the foyer of her residence by an unknown man who followed her into the building, fondled her, and then fled. Police are investigating.