At least 12 people were shot in Chicago when two men opened fire from an SUV into a crowd on Saturday, police said. The incident occurred late Friday night in the city's South Side neighborhood.
According to police, an SUV pulled up and two individuals inside began shooting. The vehicle then fled the scene, leaving two men in critical condition. One victim suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh, as reported by the Associated Press.
The injured included eight men and four women, ranging in age from 17 to 47. They were transported to four different hospitals for treatment. Police also noted that another man sustained injuries of an unknown nature but declined medical attention.
Officers initially responded to reports of a person being shot and found a woman with two gunshot wounds to her back and a man with four graze wounds to his back. Authorities stated both victims were in fair condition.
Police have launched an investigation, though no further details were immediately released. The shooting is part of a broader wave of gun violence in the city, with at least 21 people shot since Friday evening, including four fatal incidents.
The violence occurred on Juneteenth, the U.S. holiday commemorating the end of slavery. Earlier that day, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama welcomed the first visitors to his presidential center on the city's South Side. Pastor Donovan Price, a community advocate who works with victims of gun violence, described the mass shooting as especially tragic given the significance of the occasion.
“It should be celebrating,” he said. “Fireworks should not turn into gunshots.”
