The twinkling lights of Chicago’s annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony had barely dimmed when the city’s heart plunged into terror. What began as a night of holiday cheer in Millennium Park transformed into a scene of panic and heartbreak just blocks away in the bustling Loop district. In what authorities are calling a “Chicago shooting last night” that shattered the festive mood, two separate bursts of gunfire left one young man dead and eight teenagers wounded, sending shockwaves through a community already weary from persistent urban violence.
The incidents unfolded late Friday evening, mere hours after thousands gathered to usher in the holiday season with carols, ice skating, and the glow of the towering 50-foot Norway spruce. Eyewitnesses described a vibrant atmosphere earlier in the evening—families bundled in scarves, vendors hawking hot cocoa, and the air alive with laughter. But by 9:50 p.m., that joy curdled into chaos near the iconic Chicago Theatre on North State Street, a stretch synonymous with Broadway shows and neon-lit glamour.
According to Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Larry Snelling, officers on routine patrol in the 100 block of North State Street heard the unmistakable crack of gunfire ripping through the crowd. “It was pandemonium,” Snelling said during a tense Saturday morning press briefing outside CPD headquarters. “Our officers responded immediately, but they were met with a large group of young people scattering in every direction. Seven victims, all teenagers between 13 and 17 years old, were struck by bullets.” The minors were rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Lurie Children’s Hospital, where six were listed in good condition and one—a 13-year-old boy—in fair condition with wounds to his lower extremities.
Alderman Brian Hopkins, representing the 2nd Ward that encompasses much of the Loop, was among the first officials to weigh in publicly. In a series of rapid-fire posts on X (formerly Twitter), Hopkins painted a grim picture: “At least 5 shot in the Loop. Multiple police officers attacked and injured with mace and stun guns— at least one PO hospitalized. 300 youths rioting downtown.” His account aligned closely with initial reports from sources close to the investigation, who confirmed at least two victims were hit in this first barrage, with bullets flying from an unknown assailant or assailants amid a heated altercation.
As sirens wailed and ambulances clogged the narrow streets, the violence didn’t end there. Just 40 minutes later, around 10:30 p.m., another shooting erupted a few blocks south at the intersection of West Adams Street and North Dearborn Street. This time, the toll was even more devastating. An 18-year-old man, identified Saturday afternoon as Jamal Thompson of the South Side’s Englewood neighborhood, was fatally shot in the chest. He was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital shortly after arrival. Accompanying him was a 16-year-old girl, wounded in the arm and leg; she remains in stable condition at the same facility. Sources told reporters that the second incident stemmed from a dispute that spilled out of a nearby late-night eatery, where a group of teens had migrated after the tree-lighting festivities.
Video footage circulating on social media captured the harrowing aftermath. Grainy clips from bystanders’ phones show police cruisers screeching to a halt, blue lights flashing against the marquee of the Chicago Theatre, its “Now Playing” sign a cruel irony. One particularly chilling video, shared widely by local influencer @SpotNewsWatch, depicts officers in riot gear forming a human barricade as dozens of youths—many appearing no older than high schoolers—bolted down State Street, some clutching shopping bags from holiday sales. “I thought it was fireworks at first,” recounted Maria Gonzalez, a 42-year-old mother from Pilsen who had brought her two daughters to the event. “Then the screams… God, the screams. We hid in a doorway for what felt like hours.” Gonzalez’s voice cracked during a phone interview Saturday, her words echoing the raw fear that gripped parents across the city.
The shootings come at a poignant moment for Chicago, a metropolis that prides itself on resilience yet grapples with a stubborn undercurrent of gun violence. The Loop, typically a sanctuary of skyscrapers, theaters, and tourist traps, saw a 15% uptick in violent incidents this year, per preliminary CPD data. Experts attribute this to a post-pandemic surge in youth gatherings—unsupervised blocks parties, flash mobs, and pop-up events that draw crowds but strain under-resourced policing. “These kids are out here looking for fun, but in the absence of structure, one wrong look can turn deadly,” said Dr. Amirah Salaam, a youth violence prevention specialist at the University of Chicago’s Crime Lab. Salaam’s team has documented over 200 such “youth-involved” shootings in 2025 alone, many tied to social media-fueled beefs that escalate offline.
In the wake of the “Chicago shooting last night,” community leaders wasted no time in decrying the systemic failures that allow such tragedies to recur. Mayor Brandon Johnson, who attended the tree-lighting and delivered a speech on unity under the holiday lights, called the events “a gut punch to our city’s soul.” Flanked by faith leaders and activists at a vigil Saturday noon in Daley Plaza, Johnson pledged an additional $5 million to expand after-school programs in high-risk neighborhoods. “We can’t police our way out of this, but we can love our way through it,” he said, his voice steady but eyes rimmed with fatigue. Critics, however, pointed to the administration’s handling of juvenile justice reforms, arguing that lenient policies have emboldened young offenders. “We’ve decriminalized too much too fast,” fumed Hopkins during a WGN radio spot. “These aren’t hardened criminals; they’re kids with guns, and we’re failing them by not intervening sooner.”
The human stories emerging from the rubble are as heartbreaking as they are infuriating. Among the wounded in the first shooting was 15-year-old Aaliyah Jenkins, a sophomore at Whitney Young Magnet High School and aspiring ballerina. Her aunt, Keisha Washington, shared a photo of Aaliyah’s tutu-clad silhouette from a recent recital, now contrasted with hospital bed selfies showing bandages on her thigh. “She was dancing in the street earlier, twirling under the lights,” Washington said, tears streaming. “Now she’s asking when she can walk again.” Thompson, the fatality, leaves behind a single mother and a 10-year-old brother who idolized his big bro’s knack for freestyle rapping. Tributes poured in on X, with #JusticeForJamal trending locally by midday, users posting lyrics from his impromptu SoundCloud tracks.
Law enforcement’s response was swift but not without controversy. Over 200 officers flooded the Loop within the hour, employing less-lethal munitions like pepper balls to disperse the crowd. Hopkins’ mention of officers being maced and stunned drew sharp scrutiny; CPD confirmed three injuries, including a fractured wrist for one sergeant, but downplayed the “riot” narrative as exaggerated. No arrests were made at the scenes, and as of Saturday evening, investigators were combing through surveillance footage from the theatre’s cameras and nearby businesses. Ballistics suggest at least two weapons were used in the first incident, possibly semi-automatic handguns, while the second appeared to involve a single shooter who fled on foot toward the CTA Blue Line.
This isn’t an isolated flare-up. Chicago’s 2025 violence stats paint a city in flux: homicides are down 12% from last year, thanks to targeted interventions like the READI Chicago program, which pairs at-risk individuals with social workers and job training. Yet shootings involving minors have spiked 22%, fueled by easy access to ghost guns—untraceable firearms assembled from online kits—and the opioid crisis’s ripple effects on family stability. “Poverty plus proximity to trauma equals predictable outcomes,” Salaam noted. “These teens aren’t born violent; they’re born into environments where survival means staying vigilant.”
As the sun set on a somber Saturday, the Loop began to stir back to life. Street sweepers cleared shattered glass from State Street, while florists at nearby markets arranged wreaths in Thompson’s memory. Tourists, undeterred by headlines, snapped selfies with the theatre’s facade, oblivious to the bloodstains scrubbed away hours earlier. For locals, though, the scars run deeper. “Chicago’s like that tough aunt who throws the best parties but always ends up in a fight,” quipped 28-year-old barista Jamal Reed, wiping counters at a coffee shop two blocks from the chaos. “We love her, but damn, when’s she gonna chill?”
The investigation continues, with CPD urging anyone with cellphone video or tips to come forward via the anonymous hotline (312-744-4210). Federal partners from the ATF have joined the fray, focusing on the firearms’ origins. In a city where holidays often mask deeper divides, last night’s “Chicago shooting” serves as a stark reminder: joy is fragile, and healing requires more than lights in the park. As families light candles at impromptu memorials, the question lingers—how many more holidays must end in sirens before real change takes root?
For now, the marquee at the Chicago Theatre flickers on, advertising tomorrow’s matinee. But beneath the glamour, Chicago mourns, rebuilds, and resolves to fight another day.