Humboldt Park
Month: January 2026
West Garfield Park
Four arrests with no consequences, then an attempted murder that’s sending him to prison for 29 years
Chicago police arrested Johnny Allen four times in the same West Side neighborhood for alleged drug dealing, and prosecutors dropped every case. Within a month of the last dismissal, Allen shot a man who refused to declare a gang allegiance. This week, a Cook County judge sentenced him to 29 years in prison for attempted murder.
Suburbs
Back of the Yards
First Chicago shooting of 2026 reported 90 minutes into the new year; at least 4 others shot since midnight
Chicago police are investigating after the first person was reported shot in the city about 90 minutes into the new year, an unusually long gap for a “first victim” by local standards. At least four other people have been shot since midnight, but time — and investigation — will ultimately determine which case will become the first “official” criminal shooting of 2026.