At least two people were killed and another seven wounded Thursday night in a deadly mass shooting near a McDonald's in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood, police say.
The shooting occurred around 10:40 p.m. Thursday in the 800 Block of North State Street outside of a McDonald's near Chicago Avenue and State Street, Chicago Police spokesperson Tom Ahern said.
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said two groups were arguing before someone fired a gun into the crowd of people. The incident was captured on video near the scene, he said.
"We see on video where a person with a gun fires into the crowd - basically this is a disturbance, a personal conflict - hitting the nine people, killing two, wounding seven," Brown said.
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Authorities initially said 10 people were shot, but later clarified that number.
Video and photos from the scene show several of the glass doors and windows of the McDonald's completely shattered.
As police and paramedics were treating victims on the sidewalk, the scene turned even more chaotic when a fistfight broke out between several people, witnesses say. Police could not immediately confirm that information.
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After the shooting, the alleged gunman fled the scene and officers nearby chased him onto a CTA Red Line platform in the area. Members of the crowd also ran to the station, Brown said.
According to officials, at one point, one person sustained a burn injury due to falling on the tracks. The woman, in her 20s, was transported to a nearby hospital in Red, or serious, condition.
One gun was recovered during the incident and a suspect was taken into custody, police said. An investigation is ongoing and charges were pending Friday morning.
Police said someone who tried to "obstruct" officers as they attempted to make an arrest was also taken into custody and charged. A third person believed to have handed the alleged gunman the weapon used in the shooting is still being sought.
Two witnesses say they were walking near Michigan Avenue when they heard shots fired, sirens and police cars.
"It was frightening," one of the witnesses said. "Cause you don’t know what’s going on. I eat by Subway here because it’s close to where I live. I go by this street and I go by McDonald's. What if something happens while I’m walking down the street? It’s frightening and it’s scary. It makes you feel unsafe, to be honest."
One witness says the incident began when a large group of young people got into a fight outside the restaurant, when a car pulled up and someone inside the vehicle started shooting, hitting multiple people. Police confirmed an argument preceded the shooting but could not say what the argument was about.
Friday morning, Mayor Lori Lightfoot released a statement denouncing the shooting, saying "area residents, commuters and other simply must have the peace of mind that this highly trafficked area is safe, and it is time for more specific, concrete steps to be taken to address this area once and for all."
More specifically, Lightfoot says she has asked Brown to add a "fixed post of uniformed officers at the intersection of State and Chicago and a separate fixed posts in the Red Line station in the same area."
The mass shooting downtown comes on the first night of a new curfew imposed by Lightfoot for unaccompanied young people, sparked by recent violent crime across different areas of the city including armed robberies, fatal shootings and carjackings.
Lightfoot and Brown are also expected to provide an update at 1:30 p.m. Friday on public safety across the city.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, shootings have been spiking downtown throughout 2022. They are up 225% in the 18th District, which includes the McDonald’s where Thursday's incident occurred.
In the 1st District, which covers parts of downtown and the Loop, shootings are up 100%.
This is a developing news story that will be updated as more details are available.
