Carlos A. Jones was forty-six years old, and Surbezz Clark was fifty-three. On a warm July night in Chicago, they were hanging out with friends outside a neighborhood gas station near 76th Street and Halsted. It was supposed to be just another ordinary summer evening in Auburn Gresham. People were talking, grabbing snacks, and enjoying the night air. Nobody in that group had any idea that four armed men were creeping up on them from behind the building.
Out of nowhere, the peaceful night shattered into pure chaos. Four figures wrapped in dark hooded sweatshirts stepped out from a nearby alleyway and walked right up to the gas station parking lot. They did not say a word or ask for money. Instead, they pulled out heavy weapons and started spraying bullets directly into the group of people.
The firepower was terrifyingly fast and destructive. One shooter was wielding a handgun fitted with an automatic conversion device, often called a switch, while another raised an AK-style rifle. In a matter of seconds, dozens of rounds tore through the air, sending everyone scrambling for their lives behind pumps and parked cars.
When the dust settled and the gunfire stopped, the devastation was overwhelming. Carlos Jones and Surbezz Clark lay on the cold pavement, mortally wounded from multiple gunshots. Two other people standing nearby were also hit, suffering serious bullet wounds as the gunmen turned and vanished back down the dark alley.
Right at that horrifying moment, a Chicago Police Department transport wagon happened to turn onto Halsted Street. The officers inside actually saw the muzzle flashes and heard the gunfire erupting across the lot. They faced an instant, impossible decision: chase after the fleeing shooters into the dark, or try to keep dying human beings alive.
The officers chose humanity first. Instead of giving chase, they slammed the wagon into park, radioed for emergency backup, and ran straight toward the bleeding victims. They performed immediate CPR and applied pressure to gunshot wounds until emergency medical personnel arrived on the scene. Despite their best efforts, both Carlos Jones and Surbezz Clark passed away from their injuries.
Today, two families on the South Side are left carrying immense grief, trying to make sense of a senseless loss. Detectives from Area 2 are working around the clock, reviewing surveillance footage and following up on every lead. Community members are being asked to step up and help bring closure to these families by submitting anonymous tips through CPDTIP.com or by calling detectives at (312) 747-8271.
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