What began as a lively evening in a bustling Chicago neighborhood known for its restaurants and
nightlife turned into chaos late Wednesday night when shots were fired into a crowd from a
speeding vehicle, leaving four people dead and 18 wounded.
Witnesses described the aftermath as frantic, with people screaming and diving to the ground.
“I can only describe it as a war zone,” said Donovan Price, a Chicago pastor who responds to
people in crisis, in a statement to The Associated Press. “Just mayhem and blood and screaming
and confusion as people tried to find their friends and phones. It was a horrendous, tragic,
dramatic scene.”
At a Thursday press conference, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling called the
shooting a “cowardly act,” emphasizing that it appeared to be targeted.
“In a matter of seconds, they were able to shoot 18 people, taking four lives,” he said.
According to Snelling, the attack occurred at a venue that had been rented for a specific event.
The driver of the vehicle fled the scene immediately, and as of Thursday, no suspects were in custody.
Snelling urged the public to submit anonymous tips to assist in identifying those responsible.
Among the victims were 13 women and five men, all between the ages of 21 and 32. The
fatalities included two men and two women. On Thursday morning, the Cook County medical
examiner’s office identified two of the deceased as Leon Andrew Henry, 25, and Devonte Terrell
Williamson, 23. The two women had not yet been publicly identified.
Police reported that at least three individuals were in critical condition, and all those wounded
had been transported to local hospitals.
Price said he spoke with attendees outside Artis Restaurant and Lounge in the city’s River North
neighborhood, who told him they had been at an album release party for a rapper. Videos
circulating on social media showed a red carpet at the entrance and guests dancing and
socializing inside the venue.
Snelling noted that investigators are still reviewing security footage and have found casings from
two different calibers, indicating the likelihood of multiple shooters.
“There was some target in some way,” Snelling said. “This wasn’t some random shooting.”
The venue has been closed pending further investigation, and police continue to work to
determine the motive behind the attack.