Cook County Crime Stoppers announced Saturday that it is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that helps identify and arrest the people responsible for two downtown shootings that left one victim dead and eight others wounded on Friday night.
The organization announced the reward on Saturday morning, saying it hopes the cash incentive will encourage anyone with knowledge of the attacks to come forward. Tipsters remain completely anonymous and are eligible for the full amount if their information results in an arrest.
The first shooting, involving one gunman and seven juvenile victims, occurred around 10 p.m. outside the Chicago Theatre as crowds dispersed after the city’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Videos posted to social media showed officers treating victims on the sidewalk outside a Walgreens at State and Randolph while other officers knelt beside additional victims closer to the Chicago Theatre marquee.
A preliminary description relayed on CPD radio by an officer who reviewed surveillance video said the shooter was a Black male about five feet eight inches tall wearing a tan Carhartt jacket, a white or gray sweater, black skinny pants, and white tennis shoes. He was last seen running east on Lake Street.
Less than an hour later, more shots were fired a few blocks south in the 100 block of South Dearborn Street. That attack left a 14-year-old boy dead and an 18-year-old man critically injured, police said.
“These acts of violence in the heart of our city are unacceptable. Someone out there knows what happened, and we are asking that person to do the right thing,” Paul Rutherford, executive director of Cook County Crime Stoppers, said. “Crime Stoppers offers complete anonymity; your name will never be asked, your call will never be traced, and your information will remain confidential.”
Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-535-STOP (7867) or submit a tip online at CPD.com. Tipsters remain anonymous and may receive the full $10,000 reward.
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