According to Chicago police Supt. David Brown, at least 14 people, including three minors, were wounded in a drive-by shooting on Halloween night on Chicago’s West Side.
The victim’s condition ranges from critical to non-life-threatening. At this time, no fatalities have been reported.
Brown told reporters late Monday night that the youngest victim is 3-years-old. Additionally, two teenagers, ages 11 and 13, were shot. According to Brown, the remaining victims are adults. One person was also struck by a vehicle, according to police.
There were ambulances on hand to take the victims to various hospitals, including Stroger, Loyola, Northwestern, and Mount Sinai.
The shooting, caught by area pod surveillance, took place in less than three seconds, Brown said.
While details remain scarce, Brown revealed that a group was standing near the intersection of South California Avenue and West Polk Street, possibly for a vigil balloon release, when a vehicle drove up and someone from inside opened fire.
It appears that two shooters may have been inside the vehicle based on the preliminary investigation.
There is no indication of a motive. According to police, they were not able to determine whether the incident was a result of retaliation or gang activity.
“They are just young,” said community activist Andrew Holmes about the children who were shot. “They’re putting on an outfit just to enjoy the evening and then you got a clown that goes and discharges that weapon, bringing great bodily harm to these families.”
He and other organizations will work with victims’ families to provide trauma counseling following the shooting.
CPD detectives are searching the area for evidence and asking anybody who may have information to contact them via the telephone hotline at 311 or submit an anonymous tip on cpdtip.com.
Police are offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the arrest of the possible offender(s).