By Hollie SilvermanShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberAt least eight teenagers were wounded, and one person was killed in two separate shootings in Chicago as the city celebrated the holiday season with a Christmas tree lighting Friday night.
In an X post on Friday night, Alderman Brian Hopkins of the 2nd Ward wrote that roughly 300 juveniles were "rioting" in The Loop, a central business and tourist district, stating that multiple officers were "attacked and injured with mace and stun guns," with at least one officer requiring hospitalization. However, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) has not confirmed that detail about the police officer as of Saturday morning.
The age of the injured ranged from 13 to 17 years old, according to a press release emailed to Newsweek from the CPD on Saturday morning.
Two more people were shot in another incident nearby on South Dearborn around 10:40 p.m., with one 18-year-old victim pronounced dead on the scene, CPD told Newsweek.
No one is in custody in either incident and no information about a suspect or suspects have been released.
Newsweek reached out to Lurie Children's Hospital by email Saturday morning for more information.
Why It Matters
The incidents unfolded as thousands came together for seasonal festivities, raising concerns about public safety in large urban gatherings, youth violence, and the risk faced by law enforcement responding to disorderly events.
CBS News reported that Friday's violence marks the second consecutive year that Chicago’s holiday weekend has been disrupted by gun violence in the Loop.
...What To Know
The first shooting occurred around 9:50 p.m. near the intersection of State and Randolph streets, close to the Chicago Theatre.
Officers on patrol encountered a large group and, after hearing gunshots, discovered seven teenage victims who were subsequently taken to local hospitals in fair to good condition.
In its email statement, CPD told Newsweek the injuries and conditions of the following patients:
- A 14-year-old boy with a graze wound to the stomach (Lurie Children's Hospital, good condition).
- A 15-year-old and a 17-year-old boy, both with graze wounds to the thigh (Stroger Hospital, good condition).
- A 14-year-old girl shot in the hip (Lurie Children's Hospital, good condition).
- A 16-year-old and a 13-year-old boy, both with leg injuries (Northwestern Hospital and Lurie Children's Hospital, good and fair condition, respectively).
- A 15-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the leg (Lurie Children's Hospital, good condition).
Shortly before 10:40 p.m., less than an hour after the first incident, two more people were shot near the 100 block of South Dearborn Street.
One unidentified male victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at Northwestern Hospital. An 18-year-old man was wounded in the leg and hospitalized in serious condition.
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The circumstances surrounding these shooting remain unclear, and the 18-year-old was unable to provide further information to investigators, CPD said in an email to Newsweek.
Amid efforts to secure the area, police activity intensified in response to the size of the crowds and the severity of the violence.
What People Are Saying
Eyewitness Linda Dixon told CBS Chicago on Saturday: “We’re coming out of the theater, and everybody just start running. We almost got knocked in the street, because everyone was running that way from down here. I’m not exactly sure what happened. It is very disheartening to see this, you know? Holiday time, everybody wants to celebrate and enjoy the evening, and something like this happens.”
Eyewitness Moe Akl told CBS Chicago on Saturday: “I just heard a ping, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this is real.’ One guy hit the floor, and then I’m like, ok, let’s go.”
What Happens Next?
Police are continuing to investigate the shootings and search for suspects, with no arrests made as of Saturday morning.
Authorities have not indicated whether the two events are connected but stated that detectives are reviewing surveillance footage, collecting witness statements, and enhancing patrols around major holiday gatherings to prevent further violence.
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