A video captured suspects hanging out of stolen cars while armed with guns before they fired shots at vehicles near a middle school in Waukegan Friday morning.
Multiple people called 911 around 7:45 a.m. Friday to report occupants of a red Kia Soul and a blue Kia Soul pointing guns at people in Waukegan.
The two vehicles, which were stolen, were driving around together.
A witness followed the suspect vehicles and stayed on the phone with 911 to provide officers with the location, according to a police report.
The suspects began firing multiple shots at the witness, striking their vehicle along with a second vehicle in the 900 block of New York Street in Waukegan.
The shooting happened across from Edith Smith Middle School, which is located at 930 New York Street.
Officers located the two Kias in the 700 block of Walnut and began pursuing them, the report said.
The two vehicles split up during the pursuit, which was eventually terminated.
One of the Kias was found abandoned a short time later on 16th Street in North Chicago, the report said. The second Kia was also later recovered.
A video taken by a bystander and obtained by Lake and McHenry County Scanner showed the two Kias traveling together near Brookside Avenue and Leith Avenue directly in front of Waukegan High School Brookside Campus.
Two suspects were seen hanging out of the windows of one of the Kias and at least one of them could be seen holding a gun as the two stolen cars drove down Brookside Avenue.
Officers also learned the suspects in the two Kias had attempted to carjack a woman near Belvidere Road and Jackson Street around 7:40 a.m. before the shooting occurred, the report said.
The two stolen Kias tried boxing the victim’s vehicle in while one of the suspects pointed a handgun at her. She was able to get away.
The incidents prompted Waukegan School District 60 to put several schools on lockdown.
The impacted schools included Waukegan High School Brookside Campus, Robert Abbott Middle, Edith Smith Middle, Hyde Park Elementary, Glen Flora Elementary and Whittier Elementary.
Lockdowns were lifted just after 8:30 a.m. after the Waukegan Police Department determined the area to be safe.