14-Year-Old Dead, 8 Teens Wounded In 2 Shootings Hours After Chicago's Christmas Tree Lighting: Police

CHICAGO, IL — Nine people were shot, including a 14-year-old boy who was killed, Friday night in Chicago's Loop, just hours after the kickoff to the holiday season in Millennium Park, police said. All the victims were teenagers, and eight of them were juveniles, according to police.

Police said officers were on patrol in the 100 block of State Street near the Chicago Theater around 9:50 p.m. when they saw a large group of people on the sidewalk and heard gunshots being fired. The group began fleeing, and officers immediately responded, discovering that seven people had sustained gunshot wounds, officials said.

Reporter Rob Elgas tweeted that the gunshots could be heard from ABC 7's newsroom nearby.

The seven victims, all teenagers ranging from 13 to 17, were treated by the Chicago Fire Department and taken to local hospitals.

According to police, those wounded are:

• A 14-year-old boy who suffered a graze wound to the stomach and is listed in good condition at Lurie Children's hospital.
• A 15-year-old boy who sustained a graze wound to the left thigh and is listed in good condition at Stroger hospital.
• A 17-year-old boy who sustained a graze wound to the left thigh and is listed in good condition at Stroger hospital.
• A 14-year-old girl who suffered a gunshot wound to the right hip and is listed in good condition at Lurie Children's hospital.
• A 16-year-old boy who sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and was in good condition at Northwestern hospital.
• A 15-year-old boy who suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and was listed in good condition at Lurie Children's hospital.
• A 13-year-old girl who sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and was in fair condition at Lurie Children's hospital.

Detectives are investigating that shooting and no one was in custody, police said.

On X, Alderman Brian Hopkins claimed that 300 juveniles were "rioting" in the Loop, and that multiple officers were "attacked and injured with mace and stun guns."

Less than an hour later, at 10:40 p.m., officers responded to the 100 block of Dearborn Street and found two victims who had been shot. Police said an unidentified male had multiple gunshot wounds to his body and was taken to Northwestern Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The second victim, an 18-year-old man, suffered a gunshot wound to his leg and was also taken to Northwestern in serious condition, police said.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson identified the person killed as a 14-year-old boy, WGN reported.

The 18-year-old was unable to give further details on the incident, according to police.

No one was in custody, and police did not indicate whether they believe the two shootings are related.

The shootings came just hours after thousands of people packed the downtown area for the lighting of the city's official Christmas tree just blocks away in Millennium Park.

The Loop's Christkindlemarket also kicked off for the season in Daley Plaza on Friday night, and had closed less than an hour before the State Street shooting.

According to NBC Chicago, it's the second year in a row that someone has been shot in the Loop during the first weekend of Christkindlmarket. A year ago, on the event's second night, a woman was shot and wounded outside the State Street Macy's store, NBC reported.