ALBANY PARK — People inside two cars shot at each other Thursday morning near an Albany Park school while kids were outside for recess, but no one was hurt, local officials said.
The shootout occurred around 9:45 a.m. near Sacramento and Belle Plaine avenues, about a block from Bateman Elementary School, Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33rd) said in a letter to constituents. People in two cars driving near the intersection opened fire at each other, Rodriguez-Sanchez said.
Students at Bateman, 4220 N. Richmond St., were in the middle of recess at the time but no one was injured. Teachers and staff took the children inside for the rest of the school day, officials said.
Responding officers recovered shell casings in the area, police said. Local police and violence interruptors from the Alliance of of Local Service Organizations remained nearby after the incident, Rodriguez-Sanchez said.
“The majority of our students are most likely unaware that the incident took place during their instructional day, however, our counselor and social worker have met with all classrooms that were outside and are available to fully support all students who have been impacted by the incident,” Bateman Principal Georgia Davos-Vetas said in a letter to parents.
School dismissal will proceed as normal and teachers will connect students who show signs of distress with help from the administration, she said.
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