Chicago mass shooting at Washington Park leaves 1 dead, at least 14 injured
A 35-year-old man was killed and at least 14 other people were wounded when gunfire tore through a late-night gathering in Chicago's Washington Park, where police were already on scene trying to break up the crowd, authorities said.
The shooting was reported around 11:37 p.m. Aug. 29 in the park on the city's South Side, according to Chicago police. Local media, including ABC7 Chicago and NBC 5 Chicago, reported that the park hosted several large gatherings that night, including a reunion for former residents of the demolished Robert Taylor Homes public housing complex.
As officers worked to disperse the crowd, shots rang out and struck multiple people. A 35-year-old man, hit in the body, was taken to University of Chicago Hospital, where he died. At least 14 other victims, ranging in age from 21 to 47, were treated for gunshot wounds. A woman remained in serious condition, several others were reported in fair or good condition, and police said the conditions of a 37-year-old woman, a 23-year-old man and a 35-year-old man were not immediately known. All of the listed victims suffered gunshot wounds to the body.
No arrests had been announced as of Aug. 30, and police did not release details about any suspect or suspects. Officers were not injured. Cook County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to identification of those responsible.
“Through last night’s shootings, we are reminded of the devastating impact of gun violence,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement on X. “In a matter of moments, a life can be taken, families can be forever changed, and communities can be left grieving.”
Johnson said the city would keep pushing to stop the flow of illegal guns and invest in violence prevention, victim services and mental health support. “We remain steadfast in our work to break these cycles of trauma,” he said.
The shooting is the latest burst of mass violence to hit a U.S. city. The Gun Violence Archive counts at least 320 mass shootings so far this year, defined as incidents in which four or more victims are shot, injured or killed, not counting the shooter. Chicago, in particular, has faced recurring gun violence, and the attack at a public park, where former residents had gathered to reconnect, highlights the difficulty of policing outdoor gatherings that can turn deadly in moments.
In a separate overnight shooting, two people were killed and nine were wounded in Trenton, New Jersey. Police responded about 12:25 a.m. Aug. 30 to reports of gunfire in the city’s East Trenton neighborhood, where 11 people had been struck. Mayor Reed Gusciora said the shooting happened during an unauthorized gathering of hundreds on a residential street. He called it a “devastating act of gun violence” and said the city would take additional steps to keep such gatherings from becoming “dangerous or unmanageable.”
“Trenton is a resilient city,” Gusciora said. “But resilience cannot mean simply enduring tragedy after tragedy. It must mean learning from what happened, changing what we can change, and doing everything within our power to prevent the next one.”