During the weekend, a series of shootings shook Chicago, Illinois. Particularly harrowing was the mass shooting at a Halloween gathering in the North Lawndale neighborhood. This incident alone resulted in 15 individuals injured, with two of them fighting for their lives.
On October 29, at about 1:15 a.m., a disagreement at a Halloween party in North Lawndale began to escalate, ending in gunfire. Those injured ranged in age from 26 to 53, and they were quickly taken to hospitals for medical attention. Of these, a 26-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man are currently in a critical state.
Officers, responding swiftly, arrested a man seen shooting into the event crowd. He was found in possession of a firearm. Reports indicate the word-of-mouth party, at an art gallery not licensed for events such as the Halloween party, drew a crowd of around 100.
Beyond North Lawndale, the broader Chicago area was also fraught with violence over the weekend. The Chicago Police Department recorded several shootings on both October 28 and 29. Specifically, on the 29th, a man aged 61 was shot on N. Kilpatrick’s 100 block and remains in critical care. A separate incident saw a 16-year-old boy shot on the 6700 block of S. Ashland, though he is now recovering well. Two other individuals, one 44 and the other 19, were shot on the 3700 block of S. Ashland Avenue.
Additionally, CBS News reported an incident on October 27 where a 51-year-old woman was shot and killed as she was exiting her car. Another unsettling event occurred on October 28 when a man, after being removed from a ship at Navy Pier, retaliated by shooting and injuring a 31-year-old woman.
Various reports estimate that the weekend saw a total of 32 shooting incidents, resulting in two deaths.
In light of the surge in gun-related incidents, Chicago police are ramping up their efforts with increased patrols and deeper investigations into these violent events. They’re urging anyone with information or who may have witnessed any of the incidents to come forward to aid their probe.