Michael Whitford killed in drive-by shooting while returning home from work in East Side

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 09:33:09 -0500

Michael Whitford was killed in a drive-by shooting late Friday as he returned home from work in the East Side neighborhood on the Far South Side. A second man was wounded in the incident.

A family member wrote on Facebook that Whitford, 49, "had just arrived home from work and was exiting his vehicle when he and his friend were confronted by multiple gunmen."

As Whitford and the 54-year-old man got out of their vehicle at 10:43 p.m. in the 10600 block of South Green Bay Avenue, someone fired shots from a white SUV, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

"He was an innocent bystander in a drive by altercation," his nephew wrote on Facebook.

Whitford was shot in the back and died at 11:35 p.m. at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the medical examiner’s office and police. He lived on the same block as the shooting.

His friend was shot in the face, and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, police said. His condition had stabilized.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with expenses.

The author said of Whitford: "Mike was a loving Husband, Father, Brother, Uncle, and Friend."

--Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Michael Whitford | Homicide Watch Chicago

Michael Whitford killed in drive-by shooting while returning home from work in East Side