Chicago Shootings Leave One Dead And Eight Injured After Christmas Tree Party

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

CHICAGO, USA (Worthy News) – Crime-ridden Chicago on Monday faced the prospect of a bleak Christmas after shootings rocked the heart of this U.S. city, killing one person and injuring at least eight others, authorities said.

Gunfire reverberated throughout Chicago’s Loop district, just hours after the city lit its official Christmas tree just blocks away in Millennium Park.

Seven teens were injured in the first shooting, which police said happened “near the intersection of State and Randolph streets near the Chicago Theatre at around 9:50 p.m. local time.”

Two people were shot, one fatally, during the second shooting near Adams and Dearborn streets about 30 minutes later, police said.

GUNFIRE IN LARGE GROUP

During the first shooting, officers on patrol heard gunfire erupt into a large group gathered in the 100 block of North State Street, according to the Chicago Police Department (CPD).

Officers found seven victims — all teenagers aged 13 to 17 — who were transported to Stroger Hospital and Lurie Children’s Hospital in fair to good condition.

About 45 minutes later, officers responding to the second shooting in the 100 block of South Dearborn Street found two more victims.

14-year-old Armani Floyd was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died; an 18-year-old man remained hospitalized in serious condition with a leg wound.

TRUMP MENTIONS ‘MASSIVE RIOTING’

President Donald J. Trump reacted Saturday forcefully, alleging “massive crime and rioting” and claiming several officers were “attacked and badly injured.”

Police have not confirmed these claims.

Trump again criticized Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for rejecting federal efforts to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, a move currently tangled in legal challenges.

“Governor Pritzker and the Low IQ Mayor of Chicago are refusing Federal Government help for a situation that could be quickly remedied,” Trump wrote. “The people are chanting, BRING IN TRUMP!!!”

Authorities also said it remains unclear whether the two Loop shootings were connected, with investigators still determining if the same individuals or groups were involved.

OFFICIALS CALL FOR PARENTAL CONTROL

Johnson said police made 18 arrests for curfew and disorderly offenses Friday night and seized five guns, although none have yet been tied directly to the shooters.

Rich Guidice, former director of Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management, said parents must take responsibility for the large youth gatherings. “These parents have to be engaged. These are kids under 17 years old,” he said.

A Chicago alderman also claimed roughly 300 juveniles were ‘rioting’ downtown that night, but the Chicago Police Department has not confirmed this number.

The mayor stressed that such youth gatherings “cannot continue,” noting that officers were aware of a large crowd forming after promotions circulated online.

HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS TURN INTO PANIC

The shootings unfolded during one of Chicago’s busiest holiday nights, with tens of thousands downtown for the tree lighting and the opening of Christkindlmarket, which had closed minutes earlier.

“We almost got knocked into the street,” said theatergoer Linda Dixon. “Holiday time — everybody wants to enjoy the evening — and something like this happens.”

Another witness, Moe Akl, said he heard a “ping” before someone collapsed. “I said, okay, let’s go,” he recalled.

The violence follows a similar incident in November 2024, when a woman was shot outside Macy’s during the second night of Christkindlmarket.

Cook County Crime Stoppers, a nonprofit organization that assists law enforcement, offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Anonymous tips can be submitted at 1-800-535-STOP or www.CPD.com, the group said.

Latest Worthy News