Chicago's rash of violence, which resulted in over 800 homicides in 2016, a 20-year record high, has seemly focused its sites on a new type of victim, Amazon delivery drivers. Accorded to a CBS affiliate, just last night another armed robbery occurred in Chicago's violent South Side neighborhood as two masked gunmen held up a driver and stole several packages. According to CBS this was only 1 of at least 12 similar incidents over the past month.
“They walked up on me, they had ski masks and told me, ‘You know what it is.’ I put my hands up and told them take what they want, just let me go,” says the driver, who asked to remain anonymous.
The men took bags filled with packages, then drove eastbound on 84th in a black minivan.
“As long as I have my life, I don’t care too much about nothing else,” he says. “I pretty much have to go home to a wife and two kids.”
UPS is reportedly also experiencing similar robberies. The delivery company said their drivers are trained to be aware of their circumstances and to contact police if they have concerns about their surroundings.
http://up.anv.bz/latest/anvload.html
This latest robbery comes just one week after another Amazon delivery driver was held at gunpoint in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood before the suspect took off in his truck. Per ABC:
Police said the male driver was heading back to his vehicle after making a delivery in the 3100-block of South Normal Avenue when a gunman walked up to him and demanded his keys.
The driver handed them over and the suspect took off in the Amazon truck, heading south on Normal, police said. Investigators have not yet located the vehicle.
The incident follows a string of robberies, targeting delivery drivers making deliveries in the city in recent weeks.
Since December, thieves have hit at least a half dozen different delivery trucks in Chicago, sometimes stealing just packages and in other cases making off with the trucks themselves.
http://abc7chicago.com/video/embed/
An Amazon spokesperson released a short statement on the Bridgeport robbery: “Our thoughts are with the delivery associate. Amazon will cooperate with the police and our service provider to bring the perpetrator to justice."
Seems like those delivery drones can't come soon enough.