2 teens hurt, 1 critically, in shooting during drug deal in suburbs

Two teenagers were shot and wounded, one of them critically, during a drug deal late Sunday night in northwest suburban Palatine.

Officers responded to a call of gunfire about 11:45 p.m. in the 1900 block of North Green Lane, according to a statement from Palatine police. When police arrived, they found a 15-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds to his torso and foot and a 19-year-old man shot in his hand and foot.

They were both taken to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where the younger man was in critical condition and the older man’s condition was stabilized, police said.

Police believe the teens were the targets of a gang-related attack.

After the shooting, investigators learned they were standing near the entrance of an apartment “waiting to complete a drug transaction” when someone walked up and fired multiple shots, striking them both, police said. The shooter then ran to a waiting vehicle that was parked in a nearby lot.

Anyone with information about the shooting should call investigators at 847-359-9000 or the Palatine/Inverness Crime Stoppers at 847-590-7867.