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| Photo: Google Maps. |
Sunday night, there were several reports of large mobs lurking in the vicinity of Wilson and Sheridan Road.
Around 9:22 p.m., approximately 200 to 300 people were spotted loitering in the area, said police. At the time, authorities said the crowd appeared to be "peaceful".
Fifteen minutes later, a 911 caller claimed a security guard at 915 West Wilson Avenue, was being assaulted. However, that call was "disregarded" at 9:39 p.m.
By 9:44 p.m., part of the "peaceful" mob had moved west to Broadway and Wilson. An officer at the scene said the group was merely "celebrating" as they left the lakefront.
An urgent call for more police cars at 1111 West Wilson Avenue, around 9:49 p.m., seem to change the Chicago Police Department's perspective of the crowd.
It's unclear why police back up was requested at 1111 West Wilson, but the situation seem to be under control by 9:50 p.m.
Approximately eight minutes later, a CTA employee reported a brawl at the Red Line Wilson "L" station at 4620 North Broadway Street.
Four black men were fighting on the CTA platform, said the CTA employee.
The alleged brawl at the Uptown train station was soon overshadowed when gunshots pierced the air at Wilson and Sheridan.
Five to six shots were fired on the 4600 block of North Sheridan Road, around 10:03 p.m., said police.
An estimated 50 people were present when the shooting occurred.
The shooter was described as a male black between 18 and 20-years-old with an average height and build.
He was last seen wearing a white shirt and a white baseball cap.
Witnesses saw the gunman run westbound on Wilson, then northbound on the 4600 block of North Kenmore.
An officer at the scene said despite the constant violence in the area, no injuries were reported.
However, a very reliable source said an ambulance removed a victim from the scene.
This is sad. Why do people have to ruin something that was suppose to be celebrated. We are wasting tax money having all those extra cops to monitor drunk people walking around disturbing the peace. All this violence is what causes things to stop and we will no longer have any fun. Look what happened to the South Side Irish Parade. They should do the same with the pride. This residential neighborhood cannot handle the crowd. It needs to be downtown where there is more space.
ReplyDeleteThe same thing happened last year with this large group of "people" hanging out at the lakefront after the parade and causing trouble when they left. I would have thought the police would have kept them in check after last year. I'm sure they had alcohol on the lakefront too, which is "supposedly" not allowed.
ReplyDeleteIt NEVER fails, idiots ruin it for EVERYONE. Thousands of people do use the parade as an excuse to get drunk and act like morons! It's one thing to have fun, it's something all together different when people go to the parade to get drunk and cause trouble. 750,000-800,00 people in Lake View is was too many people.
Forget the PC Stuff - they are not "Mobs" = they are GANG MEMBERS and DRUG DEALERS!
ReplyDeleteI lived at the Loreli Hotel At Lawrence and Kenmore for a year and know it well - the gangs RULE Wilson and Lawrence, from the Lake to Broadway, after dark. They are SO BRAZEN now that they attack citizens during the day and IT WILL NOT STOP until the Citizens take a firm stand and STOP IT.
It's the GANGS AND THE DRUGS DUMMY!
There were problems up further north too. Just south of Howard and around the lake front.. Not nearly that large in the size of the mobs. There were plenty of fights and often one or two people getting beat up by these mobs of people. It has been a rough night for the cops.
ReplyDeleteI went out for a ride on the lakefront Sunday around 5-6PM...while it was crowded I was enjoying myself, until my wife and I got north Irving Park. This was the first time I have ran into the type of degenerates I saw in the +15yrs I have rode the lakefront. The mobs of people totally ignored the bike path. They were rude, walked the entire width of the bike path, and on one occasion I was taunted by a low life thug pretending to kick me while riding by on the path,as if to knock me off the bike. Luckily my wife and I rode past this garbage and made our way back south without further incidence. Meanwhile as we made it back to North Ave. there were the cops sitting on a bench relaxing. The city of Chicago needs to number one enforce some kind of bike path rules and educate everyone on how to share this beautiful path, similar to what San Francisco does on the Golden Gate Bridge, one path for pedestrians, one path for bikes...not shared. The CPD needs to do something about the THUGS on the lakefront. They need to increase their presence and get rid of these idiots that are ruining Chicago's most prized attraction...the lakefront. Just like in Manhattan, I have been in Manhattan at 2am walking around the city and have felt safer than this past Sunday at 6PM!!!! Keep this trash out of our lakefront. I cannot imagine the injuries I would have sustained had the moron kicked my bike as I rode by, and not to mention the loss of my bike...Even worse if they had attacked my wife who was following close behind.
ReplyDeleteHere's an idea. That large group gathers EVERY year on the lakefront, maybe they need to get a permit. It's not like it's 50, it's 200+ which is a gathering/crowd/EVENT.
ReplyDeleteIF they can't gather peacefully, they lose the privilege to gather at all.
Any event on park property is subject to the approval of the Chicago Park District. Certain activities that require a Chicago Park District Special Event Permit include the following:
events with 50 or more participants
Since this EVENT happens every year, they need a permit and the Alderman needs to be notified.
^^
ReplyDeleteThats unconstitutional, Towanda. People have the right to assemble.
The park District says 50 people. If there's music and anything else that may look like a gathering/event, they may have to have a permit. I'm just saying what the permit rules/regulations say on the park districts site. 200 people, to me, is more than a get together and, each year, after that get together, there's problems in the Uptown area, which than requires more police officers.
ReplyDeletePeople MAY have the right to assemble as long as they have a permit to do it when it's 50 or more. Seems this is an organized event and therefore, NEEDS a permit. IF this assembly of partiers continue to cause trouble in and around the area AFTER the event is over, than I would bet that pretty soon, they won't be allowed to assemble there. Change the behavior and you just might be surprised about the acceptance that brings. Seems simple enough to me, unless, of course, you don't care about the behavior.
ReplyDeleteThis was taken from the Windy City Black Pride site,
"if you are attending the Rocks Coordinating Committee's annual After-The-Parade Pride Celebration at Montrose beach. If so, we recommend that you park very early at Montrose beach and bus or walk over to Belmont and Halsted."