Evanston Man Charged in Wrigleyville Shootout

CHICAGO, IL - An Evanston man appeared in Cook County court Monday after being identified by police as one of the shooters involved in a 3 a.m. shootout that involved police just blocks from Wrigley Field.

Ralph Banks, 19, of the 2000 block of W. Darrow Ave., has been charged with one felony count of aggravated discharge of a firearm - vehicle/school, according to the Chicago Police Department.

A shooting involving two groups of armed men around 3:05 a.m. Sunday in the 1100 block of W. Patterson Ave. in Lakeview was witnessed by police, who fired one shot each during the incident, DNAinfo.com Chicago reported. Police told one witness a total of 86 shots had been fired during the shootout.

From DNAinfo.com Chicago:

“Around 3:05 a.m., two police officers from the Town Hall District were conducting a traffic stop in the 1100 block of West Patterson Avenue when they heard gunshots coming from the intersection of Racine and Patterson avenues, according to Officer Jose Estrada, a Chicago Police spokesman.

The officers headed toward the gunfire, where they saw two men shooting at an unknown target, Estrada said. The gunmen then started running eastbound on Patterson Avenue in the direction of the officers, Estrada said.

The officers pulled out their guns and each fired one shot, at which point the two men dropped their guns and ran in the other direction.”

Banks was pursued by responding officers and arrested without incident, police said.

Police recovered a loaded .40 caliber handgun during the investigation.