A parent was fatally shot in the parking lot of a south suburban high school Saturday afternoon during a basketball tournament.
The shooting occurred about 1:10 p.m. outside a junior high boys basketball tournament at Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills, according to a statement from Country Club Hills police.
During the tournament, multiple gunmen were “laying in wait” in the school’s back parking lot in a “completely tinted” black sedan, according to police.
When the gunmen saw the victim leave the school with his child, they drove toward them and blocked the path to their vehicle. The gunmen then exited their vehicle with weapons drawn and opened fire on the victim, police said.
The gunmen fled the scene through a parking lot toward Pulaski Road, police said.
The victim was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Cook County medical examiner’s office has not yet identified him.
The Prairie-Hills Junior High boys basketball team was participating in the tournament when a “targeted dispute led to a shooting,” according to a statement from Prairie-Hills Elementary School District 144.
The victim was a parent from a neighboring community, according to a statement from Bremen High School District 228, the district for Hillcrest High School.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the family, loved ones, and all those affected by this heartbreaking event,” District 228 wrote.
Both school districts will offer counseling and support services to students and staff in need.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the Country Club Hills Police Department at 708-798-3191 or the SWORN tip line at 708-206-2899.
