Suspect in custody after two men shot in downtown Elgin fight on East Chicago Street, police say

Two men were shot Friday night in downtown Elgin in what witnesses said started with a fight and ended with gunfire.

Elgin police said the shooting took place in the the 100 block of East Chicago Street, and the two adult men were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

A suspect is in custody, police said in a Facebook post, but it was not clear if the that person was one of the shooting victims or a third party.

Lisa Esterdahl was with a group of people sitting on benches along South Grove Avenue about 9:30 p.m. when she saw two men start fighting on Chicago Street. “They were fighting at first. They were punching each other,” she said.

Then she heard gunshots, she said.

“We had to duck,” she said, not knowing where the gunfire was coming from or if the bullets were being fired in their direction.

Another witness said he saw one of the men lying in the street afterward.

Police closed the area near East Chicago Street and South Grove Avenue as detectives investigated the scene.

According to police, the shooting was an isolated incident and there was no further threat to the community.

The shooting location is just north of the Riverside Drive Promenade where, the Elgin Farmers Market is to start in a few weeks.

Detectives from the police department’s Major Investigations Division continue to investigate. Anyone with additional information should call 847-289-2600 or text a tip to 847411, including “ELGINPD” at the beginning of the message.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.