17-Year-Old Prematurely Pronounced Dead Recently Graduated ETHS

EVANSTON, IL — A recent graduate of Evanston Township High School died after being shot in the head in Chicago Monday. Police and fire officials are investigating the circumstances of his death and the response by emergency personnel who mistakenly presumed him dead. School officials offered counseling to students as a member of the ETHS class of 2018 was killed less than three weeks after graduation.

Erin Carey, 17, of the 200 block of South Lockwood Avenue in Chicago, was identified as one of the two people who died when six people were shot around 4:50 a.m. in the 1200 block of South Loomis in the Near West Side neighborhood.

Principal Marcus Campbell said the Evanston Township High School community was deeply saddened by the death. In a message Tuesday, he pointed to available community resources and said the school would be providing grief counseling during summer school.

"Many of our students and staff will have a difficult time dealing with the loss of a fellow Wildkit," Campbell said. "We extend our heartfelt sympathy to Erin’s family and friends, our students, and staff."

Police said the shooting appears to have originated from a late-night dispute a nearby party. When paramedics arrived to find a half dozen people with gunshot wounds, they reportedly covered Carey with a white sheet before moving on to treat other victims. They believed he was already dead after being shot in the head multiple times.

Witnesses at the scene shouted at police that Carey was still alive when they noticed him moving under the sheet. According to WLS-TV, cameras were on scene for at least 15 minutes before the sheet was removed.

Rescuers began performing CPR and Carety was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 20 hours later, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Police and fire officials have opened an investigation into the response.

“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,” said Anthony Riccio, deputy superintendent of Chicago police, at a press conference Monday.

“They saw movement underneath the sheet. Officers who were present notified the paramedics this man is still alive and treatment began," said CPD's second-inc. "His injuries are catastrophic but that is something I think definitely has to be looked at to find out exactly what happened.

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A fire department spokesperson told the Chicago Sun-Times Tuesday the department is investigating why Carey went so long without medical treatment.

“We are reviewing dispatch recordings, phone calls and our paramedics to determine what did led to the patient being left under a sheet when he had not been pronounced dead, and in fact had life signs despite a traumatic wound from which he could not recover."

Chicago's top fireman explained first responders are entering a chaotic scene when they arrive at the aftermath of a shooting or other event with multiple casualties.

“There’s also something going on that a lot of people forget, it’s known as triage, so when the first ambulance gets on the scene they’ll take a look at the victims and they will concentrate on the ones they know they can save, right away. That’s the first thing that takes place,” Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Jose Santiago told reporters. "That's what happens when the first ambulance gets there."

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Shalonza E. Mctoy, 22, of the 2100 block of North Kildare Avenue in the Hermosa neighborhood, also died in the incident, authorities said. She was shot multiple times and found in the 1400 block of South Washburne Avenue.

Other victims included a 23-year-old man who was shot multiple times in the abdomen and driven to Mount Sinai Hospital by his girlfriend, a 23-year-old man who ran to an arriving police car with a gunshot wound to his arm, a 21-year-old man who ran to police after being shot in the calf and a 21-year-old man who arrived at Rush Hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg, according to police.

The shooting remains under investigation. Riccio said evidence at the scene indicated there had been an exchange of gunfire between multiple shooters. The incident took place beside a public housing complex in an area with ongoing gang violence.

Riccio said four of the victims were "known to the Chicago Police Department," according to the Sun-Times. None of the survivors are cooperating with cops, he said.

In April, about a block away from where six people were shot Monday, a school was placed on lockdown after a man was killed in an afternoon shooting.