Breaking News: Washington Heights Shooting Incident Involving Whitney Young High School Principal Sparks Outrage

“I am a living, breathing, walking miracle,” expressed Rickey Harris, the principal of Whitney Young High School, during an interview with ABC7. His words resonate deeply following a harrowing experience that left him both grateful and astonished.

On a Friday night, in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Chicago, Harris found himself in a terrifying situation. His car became the unintended target of a barrage of gunfire, yet he managed to drive himself to a nearby police station, overwhelmed by the realization that he had narrowly escaped death.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

As Harris was navigating down Throop from 95th Street, his white vehicle was suddenly enveloped by a frightening array of gunfire from an automatic weapon. Unaware at first of the unfolding danger, it wasn’t until a bullet shattered his rear window that the gravity of the situation hit him.

“While driving, I’m shaking, realizing these were gunshots, multiple gunshots,” Harris recounted, still visibly shaken by the encounter.

The assault left the passenger side of his car riddled with bullet holes, with one shot piercing through the front windshield and another through the rear passenger window. Miraculously, none of the bullets struck Harris, who was seated in the driver’s seat, leaving him to reflect on his incredible fortune that night.

Moments after the shooting, security camera video shows the gunman walking across the street. Thirty seconds later, he opens fire again, in the opposite direction, toward another car passing by a school building. What he may have been aiming at was not immediately clear.

Chicago police say they have a report of the first shooting, but not the second.

Harris has devoted his career to educating young people and improving their lives. He says he cannot imagine any reason why he might have been targeted.

“If anyone’s looking for a sign to believe in God, here I am. Here I am,” Harris said.

His car is likely a complete loss, but he is just grateful to be alive.

CPD acknowledged a report of the first shooting would make no mention of the second. They say the incident is still under investigation.