Man shot during armed robbery in Wheeling

What began as meetup to buy power tools at a Wheeling self-storage facility Sunday morning ended with a man hospitalized with gunshot wounds and police hunting his suspected assailants.

According to Wheeling police, officers responded to the facility in the 300 block of West Hintz Road shortly after 10 a.m. following reports of an armed robbery.

Officers arrived to find a 30-year-old man suffering from two gunshots. He was rushed to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he underwent surgery and is listed as stable, police said.

Investigators believe the victim had arranged to meet the suspects to purchase power tools, but realized during the transaction that the circumstances had been misrepresented. A struggle ensued, and the victim was shot twice, police said.

The suspects fled the scene in a white van, police said.

Wheeling police Deputy Chief Al Steffen said crime occurring when people meet for pre-arranged transactions is a growing problem across the country. The Wheeling police station at 1 Community Boulevard has a safe spot in the parking lot for commercial transactions, he added.

“We have space available right in our lot where people can meet, and everything is on camera and the police station is right there, but they don't need to necessarily coordinate with us,” Steffen said.

Police said the investigation remains active. However, authorities believe this to be an isolated event and there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Wheeling Police Department at (847) 459-2632.