Chicago police arrested 18 people as large, unruly crowds flooded the Loop after Friday evening’s annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony, an hours-long disturbance that coincided with two shooting incidents that left eight young people wounded and a teenager dead.
Court records show three of the arrests involved adults accused of carrying firearms in the Loop that night, although none of them have been linked to the shootings.
The shootings began around 9:50 p.m. when a gunman opened fire near the Chicago Theatre marquee, injuring seven juveniles along State Street.
Minutes later, 14-year-old Armani Floyd was fatally shot and an 18-year-old man was injured in an attack in the 100 block of South Dearborn.
Moments after the second shooting, cops in the 200 block of South Dearborn allegedly saw 19-year-old Joelon Matthews near the shooting scene wearing a full face mask and noticed a bulge on his waistband, a CPD report said.
When the officers tried to stop him, he walked away and claimed that his brother had been shot and the gunman fled in another direction, the report stated.
Officers allegedly recovered a Glock handgun from his waistband, according to the arrest report. Judge James Murphy III ordered him detained on a charge of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.
About ten minutes later, officers stopped 18-year-old Carvel Jones Jr. in the 400 block of South Clark Street because he was dressed like someone wanted in connection with the deadly attack, according to his arrest report. Jones allegedly clutched his left jacket pocket and ran as the officers approached.
Cops said they saw him pull a gun from his pocket and discard it while turning from Clark Street onto Ida B. Wells Drive. Police allegedly recovered a loaded 10mm handgun in that location and took Jones into custody.
Judge Antara Riera detained him on two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon.
The third firearm arrest occurred shortly after midnight Saturday as officers continued patrolling the Loop following the shootings.
Police said a group of young people had been standing near State and Adams for about 20 minutes, possibly violating the city’s curfew ordinance.
As officers approached, 19-year-old Izaivion Bell “appeared startled” and ran, his arrest report said. Several officers reported seeing a bulge in his waistband and alerted a nearby group of roughly 30 officers who intercepted him.
The cops recovered a loaded ghost gun with a 31-round extended magazine and a laser attachment, according to a CPD report. Bell allegedly said he found the gun in an alley in the Loop and put it in his waistband rather than turn it over.
Judge Murphy ordered him detained on two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon.
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