Teen shooting victim lay untreated as paramedics mistake him for dead

CHICAGO -- Six people were shot at a party in Chicago and one seriously wounded victim lay on the ground for more than 15 minutes under a sheet and unattended because paramedics thought he was dead.

The shooting took place in Chicago's University Village neighborhood at about 4:45 a.m. and stemmed from a party, police said. Two vehicles were driving around the block several times when someone started shooting, police said.

One woman was killed.

Another victim, a 17-year-old boy, was shot several times in the head. When Chicago Fire Department paramedics arrived on the scene, they believed the boy was dead and covered him with a sheet as they moved on to other victims.

News cameras were on scene for at least 15 minutes before paramedics removed the sheet and began administering CPR. How long the teen actually lay there, still breathing, is unknown. He was transported to Stroger Hospital in very critical condition.

Witnesses at the scene were telling officers that the man was still alive. News cameras also caught movement under the sheet as the teen lay covered on the ground and unattended.

"That individual has a catastrophic injury," said Chicago Police First Deputy Superintendent Anthony Riccio. "He was shot in the head and the prognosis is not good. I do understand that paramedics looked at him, believed him to be deceased, covered him with that sheet and moved on to another individual who was nearby who was also shot. They saw motion, movement underneath the sheet. Officers who were present notified paramedics, this man is still alive."

According to Chicago EMS protocols, it is paramedics who triage patients when responding to a 911 call. Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago said they still don't know how the teenager was mistaken for dead.

"We're looking into it right now. We're trying to piece everything together. We're looking at the computers where they put down all that information. Paramedics put down that information," Santiago said.

A woman between 20-25 years old was pronounced dead at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds. Police said she was found in the 1400-block of South Washburne Avenue. The Cook County Medical Examiner identified her as 22-year-old Shalonza E. McToy.

A 21-year-old man was shot in the leg and 23-year-old man was shot in the arm. Both were transported to Stroger Hospital in stable condition, police said.

A 25-year-old man was shot multiple times in the abdomen and was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital by his girlfriend and is in stable condition, police said. A sixth victim, a 21-year-old man, was discovered at Rush Hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg. He was treated and released.

Area Central detectives are investigating and a weapon, possibly a MAC-10, was recovered from the scene. Police said there are several surveillance cameras in the area.

Police said none of the surviving shooting victims are cooperating with investigators and the shooting is believed to be related to an ongoing gang dispute in the area.