‘Right outside my house’: Neighbor says shooting of off-duty police officer is unsettling in quiet neighborhood

CHICAGO (CBS) — More than 24 hours after an off-duty officer was shot Claretta Hobbs took the crime scene tape off her Beverly home. 

It happened Saturday morning near Artesian and 104th, which she calls a quiet neighborhood. 

“Right outside my house,” Hobbs said. 

She is unsettled now, but originally she had no idea the shooting happened right outside her home. 

“I did hear something early Saturday morning, shortly after 2 a.m. I heard what I thought were firecrackers because people are still celebrating from the holiday. 

But then she looked out her window and saw several shell casings. 

“It had to be at least 16 or 17 different of those yellow stand up markers. It was quite a few,” she said. 

According to the Chicago Police Department, an off-duty police officer was shot in the back during an argument outside a bar. A source close to the investigation identified the 31-year-old officer who was shot as Daniel Golden. 

Neighboring businesses say Golden walked down the alley and then past Hobbs’ home before the shooting, which was also within feet of Ald. Matt O’Shea’s office. 

“Just another example of how out of control crime is in our city and in our community, which is a very safe community. We don’t see this,” O’Shea said. 

He said a bullet hit the officer’s spine and lodged in his chest, and he is in serious but stable condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center.

“He has a very long and difficult road ahead of him,” O’Shea said. 

O’Shea said Golden is a U.S. Army veteran and comes from a family of officers. He is a third generation officer with the Chicago Police Department. 

One person is being questioned by police.