What happens when you arrange to meet up with someone after midnight to sell some merchandise from a Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist ad? Nothing good, usually. Such was the case in Chicago when an unnamed 29-year-old tried to sell his Xbox. At 1 a.m. Saturday. In northwest Chicago.
The prospective buyers, aged 15 and 19, turned into armed robbers as one produced a firearm while the other snatched the game console from the seller’s hands.
The seller introduced his own shootin’ iron into the mix and very nearly punched the 15-year-old’s ticket with a headshot that left the teen in critical condition. Meanwhile, the 19-year-old co-conspirator, also armed with a gun, took a round in the shoulder.
From Yahoo News:
A man trying to sell his video game console to two teenagers shot them after they attempted to steal it, Chicago police say.
The 29-year-old selling the console, which WFLD reported was an Xbox, met a 19 and 15-year-old around 1 a.m. Sunday in northwest Chicago.
One of the teenagers grabbed the console from the man and attempted to run off to a parked car without paying, the Chicago Sun Times reported. The other teenager was in the vehicle with a gun, the newspaper reported.
It’s unknown if the seller really thought meeting up with strangers after midnight in a marginal neighborhood was a good idea. I’ve seen comments to the effect that arranging this meet-up was like hunting over bait when it came to luring bad guys. ‘Nothing good happens after midnight’ is an adage for a reason.
Either way, CWB Chicago indicates that police have not arrested the seller.
