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Extreme violence marred the city’s downtown Friday evening when widespread disturbances and riots erupted following the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
The chaos culminated in a mass shooting outside the Chicago Theatre that left one person dead and nine others wounded, most of them juveniles.
The total casualty count reached nine people shot, including the fatal victim, during the widespread disruptions in the Loop, Chicago police confirmed.
Violence Escalates Outside Chicago Theatre
The mass shooting occurred around 9:50 p.m. in the 100 block of North State Street, near the Chicago Theatre marquee.
Officers already patrolling the area saw a large crowd fighting just before they heard gunfire erupt, sending people scattering in all directions.
Police found seven wounded victims, all juveniles, lying along State Street.
Most of the victims were children too young to drive, ranging in age from 13 to 17 years old.
Their injuries included gunshot wounds to the legs and hips, and graze wounds to the stomach and thigh. All seven were transported to area hospitals in fair to good condition.
The violence was preceded by a visible assault and robbery of a teen, as captured in videos shared on social media, confirming a rapid, dangerous escalation in the Loop.
Watch the video below.
Fatal Shooting and Police Under Attack
The violence continued a few blocks south around 10:37 p.m.
Officers, responding to new reports of gunfire near the 100 block of South Dearborn Street, found two more victims.
A 17-year-old boy, suffering multiple gunshot wounds, was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
An 18-year-old man was also wounded in the leg and taken to the hospital in serious condition.
Alderman Brian Hopkins (2nd) described the massive scene on social media, reporting that approximately 300 juveniles were “rioting in the Loop.”
He added that multiple police officers were attacked and injured by assailants using mace and stun guns, forcing at least one officer to be hospitalized.
Sources familiar with the response confirmed that officers recovered several firearms and made multiple arrests.
The situation was so chaotic that the local police district’s lockup reached capacity, requiring adult arrestees to be transported to a neighboring station.
