North Avenue Beach closed after shots fired on lakefront
CHICAGO (CBS) -- North Avenue Beach has been closed on Friday afternoon, after shots were fired just hours after the beach had opened to swimmers for the summer, sending visitors scrambling for cover.
CBS 2's Asal Rezaei was at North Avenue Beach, reporting on the opening of beaches along Chicago's lakefront for the Memorial Day weekend, when she and her photographer heard gunfire around 1:30 p.m., less than three hours after beaches were opened to swimmers for the summer season.
About 100 people were nearby at the time and started running away.
The windows of a Chicago Park District truck were shot out. No injuries were reported.
Police arrested a 15-year-old who they say was the shooter.
Officers had been at the beach all day, checking people's bags, and asked people to leave the beach around 1:45 p.m. as police conducted a search. Both the beach and the adjacent bike path were closed.
Officers could be seen questioning a group of about a dozen people, and several people were handcuffed as police searched a nearby stack of lounge chairs.
Police said a group of young men got into a fight on the beach when someone pulled out a gun and started shooting.
A group of DePaul University students who were enjoying their day off were sitting about 200 feet away at the time.
"We were really close, actually. We were having fun, and then all of a sudden these people started fighting, and the police came out, and then we heard a gunshot, and we just ran away to safety," Claire Nelson said.
The window of a Chicago Park District truck was shattered. There were no immediate reports of injuries, but several people were taken to the hospital to be treated for intoxication.
Interim CPD Supt. Fred Waller was asked about the incident later on Friday.
"The person who fired the weapon was observed," Waller said. "He was taken into custody after a very, very short foot pursuit. Another subject in the same area was also observed running away with a weapon and he was taken into custody. Two weapons were recovered from him."
It was not immediately clear when the beach would reopen.
The shooting came less than 24 hours after Mayor Brandon Johnson and other city leaders announced the city's Memorial Day weekend safety plan, which includes an increased police presence across the city, including the lakefront.
It was because of the police deployment at the beaches that officers were able to quickly respond to the shots fired at North Avenue Beach.
Along with police, violence interrupters will have a presence downtown this weekend. On Friday night, several spread out through Millennium Park and the Loop, including Englewood First Responders.
"I just want to set an example for Black kids period," said Saunte Brown, of Englewood First Responders. "We all com from a struggle. I'm here. I'm young. It' doesn't matter your age."
Brown, 16 volunteered in hopes of getting through to her peers and prevent a chaotic scene like the one last month in the downtown area when groups of teens gathered. People were shot and other violence crimes committed.
Charles McKenzie, of the Englewood First Responders, said their goal is to make sure young people, "come down here and enjoy themselves peacefully, not tear anything up, not to hurt anybody. Hopefully they can come down here and have a good time."