Police are investigating a shooting outside the Chessmen Lounge that left a 35-year-old Springfield man with serious but presumably non-life-threatening injuries Thursday morning.
SPRINGFIELD - Police are investigating a shooting outside the Chessmen Lounge that left a 35-year-old Springfield man with serious but presumably non-life-threatening injuries Thursday morning.
Just before 2 a.m., officers were called to the parking lot of the Chessmen Lounge located at 459 Dwight St. for a shooting with a victim on the ground.
According to Capt. Cheryl C. Clapprood, the victim said he was leaving the bar when he encountered two black men outside who began shooting at him.
"He was shot once in the knee, once in the groin and in the hip," she said. "He was taken to the hospital and last I heard was in the operating room but expected to live."
The assailants were described as two black men, one of whom was wearing a black hoodie with a white t-shirt underneath. They were last seen running down Lyman Street and officers are yet to identify them.
The victim, only described as a 35-year-old Springfield resident, has been cooperative, Clapprood said, although police are still trying to determine why the men shot him.
"At this point we are still piecing together the details and don't have a clear picture about what exactly led to the shooting," she said. "We will be trying to pull some surveillance footage to get more information."
When asked if police had additional information about two "shots fired" calls Wednesday evening in the Brightwood and South End neighborhoods, Clapprood said there were no new developments.
"We investigated the reports but there were no victims and no damage in either incident," she said.
Anyone with information about the Dwight Street shooting is asked to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355.
Those who wish to remain anonymous may text a tip via a cell phone by addressing a text message to “CRIMES,” or "274637," and then beginning the body of the message with the word "SOLVE."