A birthday celebration took a devastating turn on Monday afternoon, December 2, in Chicago, Illinois’ Chicago Lawn neighborhood, leaving three men dead and five others wounded. The tragedy happened at approximately 2:10 p.m. at a residence in the 3500 block of West 59th Street.
The group, aged between 20 and 35, had begun their celebration at a Little Village club before relocating to the Chicago Lawn home to continue the festivities with a performance by a popular Venezuelan DJ. What started as a lively gathering escalated into chaos when a fight broke out in the basement hallway, erupting into gunfire. Witnesses reported hearing at least ten gunshots and described a scene of people fleeing in panic.
Two men were discovered fatally shot toward the rear of the basement, while a third, a 26-year-old man, succumbed to his injuries at Advocate Christ Medical Center. All three men suffered multiple gunshot wounds, with one sustaining injuries to the head, chest, thigh, and wrist. Shell casings littered the basement floor, underscoring the severity of the attack.
Among the injured were four women and one man. A 27-year-old woman remains in critical condition after being shot in the head, while a 24-year-old woman is listed in serious condition with six gunshot wounds. A 31-year-old man, a 25-year-old man, and a 21-year-old woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries and are reported to be in good condition. The victims were transported to area hospitals, including Mount Sinai, the University of Chicago Medical Center, and the University of Illinois Hospital.
The incident has cast a harsh spotlight on Chicago Lawn, a neighborhood on the southwest side that has long struggled with safety concerns. Ranking in the 5th percentile for safety, the neighborhood’s crime rate is among the highest in Chicago, with an annual rate of 69.40 crimes per 1,000 residents.
The residence where the shooting occurred had been the site of prior police visits, though no further details about these incidents were provided. Neighbors described the home as a frequent venue for gatherings, and some expressed their shock at the violence. Children from a nearby school paused on their way home to observe the cordoned-off scene, their curiosity a stark reminder of the incident’s profound impact on the community.
Investigators are pursuing leads to identify the perpetrators, who may have fled the scene in a green Subaru before abandoning the vehicle and escaping on foot. A gun box was discovered inside the car, which has been impounded for forensic analysis. Authorities have yet to determine a motive for the attack.
Mayor Brandon Johnson condemned the violence and offered condolences to the victims’ families, reiterating his administration’s commitment to combating gun violence through initiatives like “Take Back the Block,” which focuses on community investment and safety measures. The tragedy adds to a growing pattern of gun violence across Chicago, a city that continues to grapple with solutions to its escalating crime rates.
As of Tuesday afternoon, no arrests had been made. Law enforcement officials have urged the public to provide any information that could aid the investigation. The attack, marked by its shocking intensity, underscores the urgency for both immediate action and long-term strategies to prevent further violence in Chicago’s communities.