Unaccompanied minors no longer allowed in Millennium Park after 6 p.m. following chaos that left one teen dead
CHICAGO (CBS) -- After a chaotic night in Chicago's Loop that left a teenager dead, a new policy will no longer allow unaccompanied minors in Millennium Park after 6 p.m. from Thursday through Sunday. The new policy goes into effect immediately.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot's office announced the change Sunday afternoon.
"We, as a City, can not allow any of our public spaces to become platforms for danger," Lightfoot said in a release.
NEW: Statement from @chicagosmayor:
— Ryan Johnson (@Ryan_Johnson) May 15, 2022
"We, as a City, can not allow any of our public spaces to become platforms for danger. Anyone coming into our public spaces should expect to enjoy them peacefully and must respect and exhibit basic community norms of decency." pic.twitter.com/B9I8HuMnJi
A 16-year-old, Seandell Holliday, was shot and killed in the mayhem, just steps from The Bean.
The teen was shot in the chest around 7:30 p.m. as rowdy crowds of young people converged downtown. Hours later, two men, between the ages of 18 and 20, were shot around 11:41 p.m. while walking with a group of people when two male juveniles fired shots into the group.
This has to stop.
— Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton (@LtGovStratton) May 15, 2022
Millennium Park in Chicago.
A grocery store in Buffalo—motivated by racism and hate.
A flea market in Houston.
Now a church in Laguna Woods.
Enough is enough. We must do everything we can to #EndGunViolence.
Police said following the chaos, 26 teens and four adults were arrested, and there were six curfew citations.
Anyone under the age of 18 will be required to be accompanied by a responsible adult to enter the park after 6 p.m.
According to the mayor's office the new policy will be "strictly enforced and violations will be dealt with swiftly."
In a press conference Sunday, CPD Supt. David Brown would not give specifics on how they would do that.
"Anticipating displacing this to other parts of the city will obviously come next, but first thing's first. I really do think it's important to ensure Millennium Park is rendered safe," Brown said. "We just want to start with the announcement that will hopefully deter some young people from coming and then we'll have a process that we reveal later on."
Ald Brian Hopkins said there are just not enough police officers to do it all.
"This administration is completely out of ideas," he said. "One of the Deputy Chiefs issued a mass arrest order. That's great. We didn't have the manpower to safely follow it. "
He said the strategy needs to be different because the risks are different than years past.
"This has been a gradual escalation. Every week the people doing this feel more emboldened. More empowered. And frankly, the police still haven't found an answer."
The ACLU of Illinois also reacted to the new policy. It released the following statement in response:
"The Mayor's announcement suggests that our City's showcase park should not be available for all residents of Chicago. Curfews and bans create group culpability for all young people – whether they are there to enjoy the sights and sounds of downtown or something else. The vague description – relying on an undefined 'responsible adult' – allowing young people to be present in the park and the promise of strict enforcement will result in unnecessary stops and arrests and further strain relations between CPD and young people of color. We will continue to monitor this situation closely."
Lightfoot also said she is also calling on CPD and federal law enforcement to accelerate gun traces for firearms found in the possesion of minors in order to charge the adults who provided them.
Seven guns were recovered and five gun arrests were made in connection with the chaos Saturday night.
Two officers were also injured during the violence.