Wade's nephew wounded in Chicago shooting

CHICAGO, March 31 (UPI) -- NBA star Dwyane Wade confirmed that one of five people wounded in a Chicago gang shooting this week was his nephew.

Wade said in a written statement that his sister's son had been injured in the shooting at a South Side convenience store, although he did not know all of the details.

"My thoughts and prayers are with all involved, including my nephew and sister," Wade said in the statement, which was released by his personal spokeswoman, Amy Jacobs. "Having grown up in the inner-city, I am aware of the difficult realities that exist on the streets."

The Miami Heat star did not release his nephew's name.

The shooting took place Thursday at a neighborhood store on West 79th St. A 22-year-old man was killed and police were investigating the shooting as a gang-related incident. Witnesses said they saw two men in hooded sweatshirts leave the scene in an SUV moments after multiple shots were fired.

Convenience stores in rough neighborhoods have become a sore spot with some Chicago residents and community leaders. Father Micheal Pfleger, the pastor of a nearby Catholic church, told WMAQ-TV, Chicago, the stores were becoming hangouts that served as "street offices of gangs."