5-hour shutdown of inbound Stevenson Expressway caused by shooting during evening rush

A shooting on the Stevenson Expressway caused a massive traffic backup Wednesday evening, shutting down inbound lanes for over five hours.

The expressway was finally reopened at nearly midnight, according to Illinois State Police. They said a man had been shot near Pulaski Road.

Television news helicopters captured the massive traffic backup that stretched miles back to Interstate 294.

It was the 69th reported shooting on expressways so far this year, according to the state police shooting dashboard.

The state police created the dashboard in response to rash of gun violence spilling onto the expressway a few years ago. Gun violence peaked in 2021, when there were 310 shootings reported on expressways. The total was 189 in 2022, and 129 in 2023.

In Wednesday's shooting, deputies responded to Pulaski about 6:15 p.m. for a report of shots fired, state police said in a statement.

A 27-year-old man had been shot multiple times, according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, he said.

Deputies diverted inbound traffic off at Pulaski Road until 11:51 p.m., when lanes were reopened, state police said.