Several large groups of adults and youth swarmed downtown Friday and Saturday night as three teenagers were wounded in two separate shootings that led to 16 related arrests and raised concerns among activists and local officials about how to cope to the consequences of crime, especially with warmer weather. looms
“I don’t feel safe in my town anymore,” said Raul Montes, a Little Village activist who held a press conference Monday afternoon to demand Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson tighten the curfew 22:00 in the city for teenagers promulgated in May last year by the City Council. Advice after fatal shooting of teenager at The Bean in Millennium Park.
But Anjanette Young, a social worker and activist who was the victim of a 2019 Chicago police raid, said her immediate reaction to what happened over the weekend was “the disappointment that we’re back in this space”. The answer to these situations is not to further limit young people by implementing a curfew, Young said, but to invest in them.
“If we had better community services, our young people would not be congregating in one common place, but in different places where resources are available,” Young said. “Our young people want to be heard and they want to feel safe, but we’re doing a very poor job in the city of Chicago of providing them with those safe spaces.”
On Monday night, Chicago police issued a statement that they would “actively and continuously” review “open source social media” and that “additional resources will be available to protect those who visit, live or work in areas of meetings”. Resources include an increased presence of police and command staff at these meetings across the city.”
He said the “Strategic Decision Support Centers (SDSCs) will also monitor all activity and police cameras to assist in the proactive reallocation of resources where necessary.”
“Additional security measures will be put in place, including bag checks at entry points to beaches and a curfew for minors at Millennium Park,” the statement said. “CPD is also working closely with youth and outreach workers for when these meetings take place.”
Chicago police said officers responded to groups of youths near 31st Street Beach on Friday night and downtown near Millennium Park on Saturday night “engaging in reckless behavior and nuisances that put themselves and the public at risk of harm.”
Nine adults and six juveniles were arrested as a result of the Saturday night sting. Most of Saturday’s charges were for reckless conduct; however, a 16-year-old boy was also charged with unlawful use of a weapon and a firearm was recovered, police said. An adult and a juvenile were also charged with possession of a stolen vehicle.
A 17-year-old boy was arrested after Friday’s rally and charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon, felony aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, felony possession of a stolen firearm and at least two other charges, police said.
“Everyone is welcome and encouraged to enjoy all that Chicago has to offer, including the popular downtown area, but criminal activity will never be tolerated. Those who engage in criminal activity will be arrested and held accountable,” he said the police.
Groups of young people gathered over the weekend appeared to be a cause-and-effect reaction, as three teenagers were injured in the two separate weekend shootings. A 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy were transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition after being shot in the 0-100 block of East Washington Street near Millennium Park around 9:05 p.m. on Saturday, Chicago police said. . The boys were among a crowd of people when they were shot by an unknown gunman. The 16-year-old had a gunshot wound to his right arm and the 17-year-old had a gunshot wound to his left leg, police said.
A 14-year-old boy was shot near the 31st Street Beach rally Friday night, police said. He was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital with a gunshot wound to the left thigh. The 17-year-old boy arrested after Friday’s rally was not charged in the shooting of the 14-year-old.
Police said Monday that investigations into the shootings are continuing.
Chicago Loop Alliance President and CEO Michael Edwards said in a statement that while Saturday night’s events are “infrequent,” the organization is “ready to work with all partners and relevant parties on response to when these trends are detected.”
“We are saddened by the events that occurred in the Loop on Saturday evening and are in communication with the Chicago Police Department and other entities,” Edwards said. “Our Chicago Loop Alliance ambassadors and unarmed security remained vigilant throughout the night.”
Young said the big problems have nothing to do with “demonizing our kids,” but a lack of resources for young people and their access to illegal guns.
“What I see is an effort to find a space where they can gather and enjoy the city, but oftentimes, it becomes a larger crowd than probably expected and then when large crowds gather and it’s not organized, things happen,” Young said. .
Young continued, “If we can spend millions of dollars to bring a casino downtown, millions of dollars to bring NASCAR to town for whatever reason, we can be just as committed to creating resources in all of our communities, like clubs of boys and girls, basketball, courts, parks, to start reaching our young people where they are so that they feel supported.”
Briefing in the afternoon
Daily
The best news from Chicago Tribune editors, delivered to your inbox every afternoon.
Arseny Acosta, 17, a member of GoodKids MadCity, said the lack of resources and safe spaces for teenagers in their communities pushes them to find a place to have fun, in this case downtown.
“They don’t have anything else to keep them busy, the only nice place is downtown,” Acosta said.
A Johnson spokesman said the mayor-elect is committed to investing in the city’s youth through jobs and safe spaces.
“Young Chicagoans have experienced disinvestment for years, and the consequences of it have been seen and felt longer than any mayor has been in office. What has been consistent is a containment-focused approach to the problem and policing, rather than on prevention and investment,” said Ronnie Reese, Johnson’s spokesman. “Our administration’s goal is to double the number of youth jobs in our city, make young people feel like they really have a place in our economy, and prevent violent gatherings like this weekend before happen This is an approach that’s long overdue, and it’s one that the people of Chicago voted for.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot also weighed in with a statement Sunday.
Lightfoot said “the city cannot and will not allow any of our public spaces to become a platform for criminal behavior. Most importantly, parents and guardians need to know where their children are and be responsible for their actions. Instilling the important values of respect for people and property must begin at home.”
Gregory Pratt of the Chicago Tribune contributed.
