Juvenile faces charges in shooting that wounded woman outside Macy's, police tell alderman
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A juvenile was in police custody on weapons charges Sunday, after a shooting that left a young woman wounded outside the flagship Chicago Macy's store amid early holiday festivities a night earlier, a police commander told Ald. William Conway (34th).
On Saturday, police said a 19-year-old woman was walking on the sidewalk near the intersection of State and Washington streets shortly before 9 p.m. when an unknown male fired shots. The crime scene was right outside the flagship Macy's store at 111 N. State St.
Police told Conway that a juvenile suspect was in custody Sunday evening in connection with the incident, and was charged with unlawful use of a weapon.
"We need to make sure that we're having these downtown events, that the police have the staffing and the resources they need to fight and deter crime," Conway said at the Christmas tree lighting in Greektown Sunday evening. "But I will also say that the police did an excellent job handling this."
CBS News Chicago has learned through Ald. Conway that the suspect fled the scene after the shooting and apparently attempted to hop on a Chicago Transit Authority train—where police moved in and made the arrest. Conway said a gun was also recovered.
Meanwhile, after being wounded Saturday night, the victim ran into Macy's. Video obtained by CBS News Chicago shows the 19-year-old being transported on a stretcher out of the department store.
The woman was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and was last listed in fair condition.
The shooting itself sparked a panic among the thousands that were in the area taking part in all the holiday festivities—including the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival and parade on Michigan Avenue on the other side of the Chicago River—as well as the kickoff to the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza just a couple of blocks removed from the shooting scene.
Several people were seen taking cover behind concrete barricades at Christkindlmarket, and some even running into nearby businesses. It all unfolded just steps away from CBS News Chicago's offices at 22 W. Washington St., and the station's cameras captured some of the panic.
Despite the chaos that unfolded Saturday night, crowds returned to the Loop on Sunday to take part in all the holiday festivities—seemingly unfazed by what had happened the night before. But the shooting still once again put security in the high-profile area into the spotlight.
In recent years, the area itself has become a hotbed for so-called street takeovers and other unruly activity.
"It's unfortunate that it happened on kind of the kickoff of the holiday season downtown," said Michael Edwards of the Chicago Loop Alliance. "But it did, and we're doing everything we can to make sure it won't happen again."
The Chicago Loop Alliance, which uses street ambassadors and private security to keep the area safe, maintains that this was an isolated incident.
Meanwhile, with the holidays now in full swing, there are no plans to alter the current security protocol.
"The CPD does have a holiday patrol, so there are officers on bikes patrolling up and down State Street and other major retail streets during the holiday season—so we feel like we're well protected," said Edwards. "This was just kind of a random one-off that this unfortunately happened."
The victim in this case has not been identified, and the motive as of Sunday night remained unclear.