CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — In the early hours of the morning, a 73-year-old man from Lincoln Park, Chicago, fired shots at a crew attempting to steal his catalytic converter after one of the thieves reportedly brandished a firearm at him.
The incident took place around 3:40 a.m. in the 2000 block of North Larrabee, according to CWB Chicago. Fortunately, no injuries have yet been reported.
According to the police report, the victim confronted the two thieves and one of them pulled out a gun, causing the man to defend himself by opening fire. The thieves fled the scene in a dark SUV, which reportedly hit a parked car as they made their escape.
Neighbors who called the police reported hearing yelling and two or three gunshots.
The thieves struck again in the same area a little over an hour later, according to CWB Chicago. Witnesses reported an incident in the 2200 block of North Cleveland, where thieves reportedly stole another catalytic converter and fled the scene in a white Dodge Durango.
The theft of catalytic converters has become a growing concern in Chicago and other major cities, and this isn’t even the first recent story with a similar theme we’ve reported on.
Thieves target these car parts because they contain precious metals such as platinum, rhodium, and palladium.