1 killed, 14 wounded in mass shooting in Chicago's Washington Park

A mass shooting on the eastern side of Chicago's Washington Park left one dead and sent 14 people to area hospitals late Saturday night.

Police said at 11:37 p.m., officers were on the scene during a gathering in the park along Cottage Grove Avenue near 55th Street. The officers were trying to disperse the crowd, police said.

At that point, unknown people began firing shots into the crowd and struck 10 people:

• A 35-year-old man suffered multiple gunshot wounds throughout his body and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died.
• A 34-year-old man was shot in the right shoulder and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.
• A 39-year-old man was shot in the right leg and arm and was taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County in good condition.
• A 40-year-old woman was shot in the right shoulder and was taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County in good condition.
• A 45-year-old woman was shot in the left leg and self-transported to St. Bernard Hospital in good condition.
• A 26-year-old woman was shot in the chest and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.
• A 42-year-old man was shot in the leg and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.
• A 37-year-old woman, a 23-year-old man, and a 35-year-old man were each shot in unspecified areas of their bodies. Their conditions and the hospitals to which they were taken were unknown.

Police later located five more victims from the shooting.

A 47-year-old woman was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious condition, while three more women — ages 21, 23 and 43 — were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition. A 44-year-old woman was also taken to the University of Chicago Hospital in fair condition.

Over police dispatch radio, officers could be calling for multiple victims with gunshots and saying they were applying tourniquets and asking for medics.

Witness Terry Jones was there when the picnic was happening and gunshots rang out.

"I was out here at the picnic, and I heard shooting, and I thought it was fireworks, and I saw everybody running, and falling and dropping," Jones said.

Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th) says people were gathering for the annual Robert Taylor Picnic.

"They deserve to hang out and reminisce and get to see each other, which too often they don't get to do, and you got some knucklehead who decides to shoot in the crowd. It's real disheartening," she said.

She says she's confused as to why people were even at the park after it was closed.

"Let's talk about accountability. The park district needs to work very closely with CPD and all the people when they have these events, so that people who organize this, they know what is going to happen so they know the expectation."

Mayor Brandon Johnson also weighed in on the shooting and promised accountability for those involved. In a post on social media, the mayor said in part, "We remain steadfast in our work to break these cycles of trauma by continuing to stop the flow of guns into our communities and investing in the resources that help prevent violence before it occurs. My administration will continue to show up for those impacted by these violent acts by providing access to victim services and mental health support."

Officers were also heard saying on dispatch radio that they had a person detained a weapon recovered. At one point, they said one of the suspects was seen by witnesses with an AR-15.

No officers were injured in the shooting. Calumet Area detectives were investigating.

Cook County Crime Stoppers said it is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest in the mass shooting. Anyone with information should call Cook County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-535-STOP (7867), or go anonymously to CPDTIP.com.