Shots fired in Elgin, no one injured

Elgin police said four to nine shots were fired at a woman and two teenage boys while they were driving on Edison Avenue near Erie Street at 4:15 p.m. Thursday.

No one was hit, no one was injured and no homes in the area appeared to have been struck by bullets, Lt. Sean Rafferty said.

The bumper of the vehicle in which the three were riding appeared to have been hit by a bullet, however.

At least a dozen police officers were on the scene, in part scouring the roadway for shell casings. Police blocked the intersections at Erie, Carr and Van streets looking for evidence. The shooting was concentrated on the east side of the street along the one-block length of Edison.

It did not appear that police had retrieved any casings. Several neighbors assisted officers during the search.

The vehicle from which the shots were fired was an older model silver or gray minivan, a witness said, and police believe the weapon used was a small-caliber handgun.

"Initial indications are the incident was gang-related," Rafferty said.

The shooting left residents concerned.

Michael Festa Jr., who lives on Edison, said he was watching television when he heard five to six shots fired.

"It's a sound you don't hear a lot or hardly at all, and when you do, you know what it is," said Festa, who has lived in the home for about eight months but visited his wife and family in the near west-side neighborhood for seven years. "It's a quiet neighborhood."