Small Business Owner Shot Dead After Resisting Carjacker In Noble Square View Full Caption

NOBLE SQUARE — A 28-year-old student and small-business owner was shot to death after he resisted a carjacker in Noble Square early Thursday, according to police.

At 2:05 a.m., the man was dropping off a friend in the 1200 block of North Greenview Avenue when a man got out of a white car. The man tried to steal the man's Infiniti, police said.

When the 28-year-old man refused to give up his car, shots were fired into the victim's Infiniti, police said. The Infiniti driver was hit in his torso and tried to drive away but crashed into a parked car.

The Infiniti driver was pronounced dead, police said. No other injuries were reported from the shooting or the crash.

The victim has been identified by a family member as Jesus De La O. The family and De La O's girlfriend declined to speak more about the fatal incident.

De La O owned and operated a scooter rental business called City Cycle while he pursued a degree in psychiatric nursing, according to his company's website. He was born in Huitzuco Guerrero, Mexico, but he lived in Chicago.

"In his free time, he likes to run and spend time with his girlfriend and his dog Angel," the City Cycle site says.

No one is in custody, according to Officer Anthony Guglielmi, a Chicago Police Department spokesman.

"In terms of last night’s homicide, we do believe the carjacking was the motive. We are canvassing today for video and any community information. Anyone that may have been in the area and saw any unusual activity is encouraged to report it anonymously to CPD via cpdtip.com," Guglielmi said on Thursday.

With Carjackings Way Up This Year, Police Tell Drivers To Hand Over Cars

One neighborhood man described hearing two gunshots while in bed.

"Boom boom. And I was like ‘Oh, my gosh,’” Justin Dolin told CBS2.

“So I ran outside, and I saw the silver car almost horizontal in the street, and an Uber was dropping two people off, and I saw them run right over to the car,” Dolin said.

Katherine Depover, a night shift nurse, lives near the site of the crash and heard it.

"It sounded like an explosion, an engine revving or a transmission going. I didn't hear the gunshots. Had I heard them, I would have come outside. I saw a bunch of neighbors and thought it was a car crash," Depover said.

Second Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins said in a statement: "This is an especially dangerous criminal who would choose to murder his unarmed victim simply because he was attempting to flee.

"The shooter was described by witnesses as an African-American male, age 20 to 30. This suspect must be caught. We are calling on investigators to make this case a top priority," Hopkins wrote.

Scott Morganegg, whose 2012 Nissan Versa was damaged in the crash, called the situation "really sad," describing the area as "a good neighborhood."

"I'm less worried about my car and more worried about the gentleman who died," said Morganegg, who awoke on Thursday to hear from news reporters that his car had been pushed from its parking spot into a nearby wall in the crash.

Kyle Almryde, 31, a data scientist who lives around the corner from the site of the attempted carjacking and slaying, said he was stunned.

"As far as I've been able to tell, this is a safe neighborhood. I usually get off work at 1 or 2 a.m. from my second job, and I see it very quiet here. It's terrible. I'm just kind of in shock. It's scary and shocking," he said.

Kapra Fleming, a former bed and breakfast owner who has lived on the block for 30 years, was saddened by the incident.

"I'm really sad for the family [of the victim]. It happens everywhere in the city. You can't say it doesn't happen in a good neighborhood. It happens," Fleming said.

Carjackings citywide are up 53 percent during the first seven months of the year compared to last year, according to Chicago Police Department data.

RELATED: Wicker Park Carjacking Captured on Home Security Video