National Guard Deployed In Chicago As Looting Continues Sunday

CHICAGO — Gov. J.B. Pritzker deployed the Illinois National Guard in Chicago as rioting and looting continued Sunday all around the city.

"Governor Pritzker —at my request — has ordered a contingent of the National Guard to maintain a limited presence in support of our police department in order to ensure we don't have a repeat of last night. This wasn't an easy decision. I did it at the request of and in consultation with Supt. Brown. But it surely is the right decision in this moment," Mayor Lightfoot said Sunday morning.

Police Supt. David Brown said he made the early morning request for additional support from the National Guard after it became clear that a peaceful protest became a "synchronized strategy to loot, burn and destroy."

City officials also have ordered limited access to The Loop and the downtown business district from Division Street to 26th Street between Halsted Street and Lake Shore Drive. CTA service has also been suspended for trains and buses coming in and out of the Loop for public safety reasons, city officials said.

"The decisions I've had to make in the last 24 hours are not decisions I'd wish on any leader. I know many people are feeling scared and unsettled. But I'm always make a tough choice if it means protecting our people. Chicago is strong. This is our home. This is the city we built. This is the city must protect so it can provide for us," Lightfoot said. "We know it's not perfect but if it gets destroyed we are left to pick up the pieces. In this city, we care for one another. The time for us to unite. We have to turn our pain into purpose in order to get through this moment together."