One person was killed and several others were wounded following two shootings in Chicago’s downtown area late Friday night.
The Chicago Police Department said the incidents left one person dead and eight injured. Both shootings happened on Friday, Nov. 21, just blocks from Millennium Park, where a Christmas tree lighting had taken place earlier in the evening, according to CBS News, Fox 32 Chicago and NBC Chicago.
The first shooting unfolded near the intersection of State and Randolph streets, close to the Chicago Theatre, around 9:50 p.m. local time. Officers on patrol reported hearing gunfire directed into a large crowd in the area.
Police located seven teenagers, ages 13 to 17, suffering from gunshot wounds to different parts of their bodies, CBS News reported. They were taken to nearby hospitals and were listed in good and fair condition, according to Fox News Chicago.
In a post on X, 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins alleged that roughly “300 juveniles” were “rioting in the Loop” at the time, with “at least 5 victims shot,” including one person critically injured by a gunshot wound to the torso. He also claimed multiple police officers were attacked and injured, with at least one officer hospitalized.
A second shooting occurred on the 100 block of South Dearborn Street. Officers found two people with gunshot wounds and transported both to Northwestern Hospital. One of them was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The surviving victim, an 18-year-old man, was reported to be in serious condition with a gunshot wound to the leg, per CBS News.
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Authorities have not yet released additional details about suspects or a possible motive. The Chicago Police Department did not respond to requests for comment on the incidents.
Friday night had drawn heavy foot traffic downtown, with crowds attending the tree lighting at Millennium Park and the opening night of Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza.
Some people who were out for the holiday festivities witnessed the first shooting. Linda Dixon told CBS News she was leaving the Chicago Theatre with a group when she saw police rushing past.
“We’re coming out of the theater, and everybody just [started] running,” she said. “We almost got knocked in the street, because everyone was running that way from down here. I’m not exactly sure what happened.”
Dixon added that the violence cast a shadow over the evening. “It is very disheartening to see this, you know? Holiday time, everybody wants to celebrate and enjoy the evening, and something like this happens,” she said.
Cook County Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information related to the shootings that leads to an arrest, according to CBS News.
