Three people were shot Saturday evening during an hours-long “large group” incident in the Loop, including a 16-year-old boy who died after suffering a gunshot wound to his chest near the landmark “Bean” sculpture in Millennium Park. Bystanders apparently captured the shooting on video.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Seandell Holliday of Roseland.
By 8 p.m., Chicago police leadership declared a “mass arrest” situation as they tried to clear the area, but the huge crowd — hundreds of teens and young adults — lingered in the streets for hours.
As of 9:24 a.m. Sunday, Chicago police said 26 juveniles and four adults were arrested during Saturday’s incident. Police recovered seven guns, made five gun-related arrests and two officers were injured, according to the CPD statement, which said the information is preliminary and may change.
CPD prisoner transport vehicles from as far away as Jefferson Park, Lakeview, and Austin were ordered to go downtown to help move arrestees to processing sites.
Shooting near ‘The Bean’
As Saturday’s situation rose to a boil, a boy who turned 16 in March died after suffering a gunshot wound to his chest near “Cloud Gate,” the landmark sculpture commonly known as The Bean. Chicago police said at least two people were arrested and two guns were recovered in connection with the shooting.
Videos of the shooting are circulating on social media. As one begins, a man wearing a ski mask and an orange hoodie is pacing in a plaza near The Bean with a crowd of young people looking on. Many of the onlookers appear to be recording the man.
Suddenly, another male in a cream-colored jacket jumps on the man in orange. A noise, similar to a gunshot, is heard, and the crowd runs away screaming. The video does not clearly show who fired the shot.
A second video shows a young man sitting on the plaza, taking off a light-colored jacket to show a large blood spot on the back of his t-shirt. He lies down on the pavers as a Chicago police supervisor hovers over him, radioing for help.
He lies back, exposing the front of his shirt, which has become dark red.
Chicago police bike units encircle the man to provide cover as more officers come to his aid.
Two social media videos are included in the clip below, but please view only at your own discretion.
According to police sources, it is common for people who have guns during the downtown “large group” incidents to wear ski masks or other items to obscure their identities.
The following video, a short clip from a CPD surveillance camera, shows a gun being passed between people near The Bean during a “large group” incident on April 30.
Another shooting
Police were still trying to disperse the crowds from downtown over four hours after The Bean shooting.
And, at 11:41 p.m., two juveniles fired guns into a group of people on the 300 block of South State, according to CPD.
Police said two people were shot. A man who appeared to be between 18- and 20-years-old was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition with gunshot wounds to his neck and chest. And an 18-year-old was taken to Stroger Hospital in fair condition with a gunshot wound to his left hand.
Officers arrested two juveniles in connection with the second shooting, police said. They are being questioned by detectives.
A familiar scenario
CWB Chicago has tracked 18 “large group” incidents in the Loop, Millennium Park, and the Magnificent Mile since April 2019. CPD’s strategy for handling the situations has not changed, nor has the result.
After the teen was shot Saturday evening, Chicago police leaders followed the same playbook that has failed to contain similar groups in the past: They closed Millennium Park at 8 p.m., which forced the group into the streets of the Loop, where street cops zigged and zagged in a futile effort to keep the situation contained.
“Taking one under the age of 12,” a dispatcher confirmed as an officer announced an arrest shortly after 9 p.m.
As usual, mobs overran local businesses, particularly convenience stores, where — putting it nicely — merchandise was not always paid for.
Countless fights broke out. Bottles were thrown. Cars were jumped and danced upon.
Guns were found and shots were fired, some hit people, some did not. Ambulances stayed busy. Police responses to calls for help in other parts of the city were delayed, sometimes for hours, as the Loop mayhem soaked up resources.