Shooter Opened Fire On Crowd Minutes After Ejected From Halloween Party: Chicago Police

CHICAGO — The Halloween weekend shooting that injured 15 in the Lawndale neighborhood was caused by a gunman who opened fire on an unlicensed event attended by about 100 people after he was ejected from the venue, according to police.

Cmdr. William Betancourt described the shooting as a “senseless act of violence” while speaking at a press conference Sunday.

The shooting occurred around 1 a.m. Sunday at a Halloween party at Studio 1258, an art gallery in the 1200 block of South Pulaski Road, according to police, who said responding officers saw a male firing into the venue. Partygoers told officers what the shooter looked like and where he went, and the gunman was spotted in the 4000 block of 14th Street and taken into custody, police said, noting a handgun was recovered on his person.

Witnesses told police the shooter was ejected from the event, returned minutes later with a gun, and opened fire, according to Betancourt.

The victims, who were transported to area hospitals, ranged in age from 26 to 53, police said. Among the wounded were a 26-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man who were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, according to police.

“I don’t know whether to scream or to cry,” 24th Ward Alderwoman Monique Scott said at the press conference. “There’s trauma behind all of this, and that’s something that we shouldn’t normalize, and this is becoming normal in our community. This is senseless and it needs to stop.”

Authorities previously shut down an event at the venue in May and a cease-and-desist order was issued at that time, according to Betancourt, who said the past weekend’s party was unlicensed and that Business Affairs and Consumer Protection would investigate.

A prayer gathering was held Sunday and an emergency assistance center was set to open Tuesday for those affected by gun violence.

“This is important,” Glen Brooks, director of community policing, said at the press conference. “We can hold people accountable but we have to heal as a community if we’re going to stop this cycle of violence.”