Teacher shot in Greektown mugging

A St. Ignatius College Prep teacher was shot Thursday night in a bold attack around the corner from a Greektown bar, police said.

Morgan Daniels and his wife, a doctor, left a work-related party at Dugan's pub, 128 S. Halsted at 11:15 p.m. Just as they reached their car at 900 W. Monroe, they were robbed by two young women. One of the them shot Daniels in the shoulder as he was handing over his wallet.

Daniels and his wife were caught off-guard by the attack because they felt so safe in the neighborhood. Daniels thinks he was shot because he wasn't responding quickly enough. "I think they were annoyed that we didn't seem to understand" what was happening, he said.

A passing police officer issued a description of the robbers. A Monroe District tactical team arrested the women immediately.

Daniels said he didn't feel much pain and only realized something was wrong when blood trickled down his chest. He was treated at Stroger Hospital and released.

The alleged shooter, Desiree Hollis, 20, of the 100 block of North Leamington, was charged with attempted murder, armed robbery and drug charges. Bobbie Griffin, 20, of the 5800 block of West Walton was charged with armed robbery and attempted murder.

Daniels praised the quick response of police and paramedics.

The lesson he takes from the incident: Always be aware of your surroundings. That's what he was told during the two years he spent as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, and nothing happened to him. But, he said, "We live in a city where anything can happen, and it did."

Daniels teaches world history at St. Ignatius and also is the school's diversity coordinator.

He doesn't plan to talk about the shooting much in his classroom. "We've got a lot of learning to do."