Shooting sidelines Waukegan goalie

Updated: March 22, 2011 4:26PM

Less than a week after being shot in the leg following a confrontation on a Waukegan street, 17-year-old Victor Chapa of Beach Park is recuperating at home, according to his mother, Elsa Chapa.

Elsa said her son's left leg is in a cast, and that although hospitalized for a few days following the Aug. 20 incident, he was able to avoid surgery. But the bullet that entered just above his ankle, will remain there.

"I'm just glad he's alive," said the mother of the Waukegan High senior, who was slated to be the starting goalie for the school's soccer team. "He's lucky to be alive."

She said Victor was at a barber shop near McAree Road and Washington Street on Friday, intending to get a haircut for a family wedding that weekend. Relating Victor's story, Elsa said that the barber shop was hot inside, so Victor and his girlfriend stepped outside to cool off. It was then, around 5:30 p.m., that he was confronted by three high-school age kids, one of whom he recognized from school.

"My son is 6-foot 1-inch, and these kids were all smaller, about 5-4 to 5-7," she said.

Words were exchanged, and soon one of the trio reportedly had a gun pointed in Victor's face.

"Victor did not really know what happened, but he did not like the gun in his face, so he swatted it away," Elsa said.

In doing so, the gun went off.

He was rushed to Vista Medical Center East by a passerby.

"He still doesn't understand what it was all about," said Elsa, who declined to let Victor be interviewed. "He's gone through enough already. People say that there is a lot of gang recruiting going on these days, but no one knows for sure what this was about."

Waukegan police arrested two juveniles in connection with the shooting the same evening that the incident occurred.

The two, whose names are not being released due to their ages, remain in custody. One was charged in connection with the discharge of the weapon, and the other was charged with mob action, according to police Cmdr. Gabe Guzman.

"He'll be okay," said Elsa, "but the thing he's most upset about is that he won't be able to play goalie for the high school team this year, which he was really looking forward to doing."

Alex Stojanovich, assistant coach for the Waukegan varsity soccer team, said that he took a number of players from the soccer team to see Victor when he was in the hospital.

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