Armed Uber Driver Stops Shooter in Chicago

An Uber driver shot and wounded a gunman who opened fire into a crowd of people on Friday night in Chicago.

A group of people had been walking in front of the driver in Logan Square when Everardo Custodio, 22, began firing into the crowd.

The Uber driver, a 47-year-old resident of Little Italy, has a concealed carry permit. He pulled out a handgun and fired six shots at Everardo Custodio, hitting him several times, according to court records.

Police in the area heard the shots and found Custodio lying on the ground, bleeding. A handgun was found near Custodio, who was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic hospital. He was treated for gunshot wounds to the shin, thigh and lower back, authorities said. Custodio was the only person injured in the shooting.

Custodio was charged with aggravated assault and unlawful use of a weapon. He was denied bond during a court hearing on Sunday.

The Uber driver provided police with a valid concealed-carry permit and a firearm owner’s identification card. Assistant State’s Attorney Barry Quinn said the driver “was acting in self-defense and in the defense of others.” Authorities said he will not face any charges.

Uber spokeswoman Jen Mullin said the driver had dropped off a passenger just moments before the shooting occurred. She had no comment on the driver’s actions other than to say the company requires all its drivers to abide by local, state, and federal laws pertaining to transporting firearms in vehicles.

The driver was still an active driver for Uber as of Sunday night, Mullin said.

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Prior to 2014, Chicago had some of the strictest gun laws in the US. The US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit struck down Illinois’ ban on concealed carry in December of 2012, and a concealed carry program was implemented in the state in 2014.

Since then, crime rates have plummeted:

Police department crime statistics note that, in the first quarter of 2014, the homicide rate in Chicago has dropped to a 56-year low. In 2014 so far, burglaries are down by 20%, auto theft rates have dropped by 26%, and robberies leading to arrests are down by 20%.

There’s no way to know what the outcome of this incident would have been if the Uber driver hadn’t been armed and willing to take action, but it sure seems like it could have been disastrous.