Off-Duty Cop Shot Dead In 'Devastating Incident' In Chicago, Police Say no Prior Conversation or Conflict with Shooter

An off-duty police officer has been shot dead in Chicago, in what the Chicago Police Department has described as a "devastating incident."

The officer, aged 23, was shot alongside another man at around 3.30am on Saturday on North Clark Street in Chicago, ABC7 reported, with both victims rushed to Northwestern Hospital following the shooting.

The pair had been sitting in a parked car with two others – one of whom was also an off-duty cop with the CPD - when the vehicle was approached by two men, one of whom fired shots into the car, the Chicago Sun Times reported.

According to police there was no exchange prior to the gunfire, with no motive yet apparent for the shooting. "There was no conflict, no words exchanged," police told the Sun Times.

The officer was pronounced dead at the hospital, while the other man was described as being in a critical condition.

"Devastating incident for CPD as an off duty #ChicagoPoliceofficer has been shot in the 700 block of N. Clark around 330am. People of interest are being questioned & Deputy Supt. Anthony Riccio is headed to Northwestern hospital. Media briefing will occur soon. Stby for details," Anthony Guglielmi, chief communications officer for CPD tweeted on Saturday.

"The off-duty officer died as a result of his injuries. The area around the shooting is saturated in cameras and detectives are not able to find any evidence of an encounter between the gunman and officers party as of yet. A Police procession will begin shortly to medical examiner," he added.

Although gun violence and murders in Chicago fell for the second year in a row at the end of 2018, the city suffers from an ongoing problem with homicides. However, police in the city have pointed to their efforts to seize guns as a major factor in contributing to the lower number of homicides in the city when compared with a peak in 2016.