Chicago’s summer has opened with a troubling wave of violence, as five police officers were injured and multiple people — many of them teenagers — were shot during the Memorial Day weekend.
The most dramatic incident occurred overnight at Loomis and Roosevelt, where hundreds of people had gathered, blocking traffic. As officers worked to disperse the crowd shortly before 3 a.m., a car plowed into the group, striking five officers. The vehicle then crashed into a squad car, a pole, and a fence. All five injured officers were transported to a hospital and listed in fair condition.
An 18-year-old driver was taken into custody, and authorities recovered a weapon from the scene.
Police Union President addressed the incident while noting that officers had recently gathered to honor fallen Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez, who was fatally shot during a traffic stop in 2024. The union leader stressed that the administration must do more to protect officers on the streets.
“The five officers struck by that car are lucky to be alive,” the union president said. “A vehicle is a deadly weapon. Officers are entitled to shoot into that car that was coming at them but they didn’t.”
In a separate incident in the Little Village neighborhood, gunfire erupted around 3 a.m. in the 2500 block of South Washington. Police discovered four teenagers — three females and one male, ages 14 to 18 — suffering gunshot wounds. They were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and listed in good condition. Additional teens were believed to have been in the area at the time, but the shooter fled.
Chicago Police canceled officers’ days off as part of an enhanced summer safety plan aimed at increasing street patrols.
Superintendent Larry Snelling had anticipated a difficult weekend and emphasized the department’s commitment to public safety.
“We want to make sure that we’re out here to stop people from being harmed,” Snelling said. “We want to make sure that people are safe. They can enjoy our city. This is a beautiful city. We want to make sure that people can enjoy it.”
Officials reported monitoring social media activity and placing extra patrols in public areas to safeguard young people. Both the mayor and Superintendent Snelling called on parents to keep better track of their children’s whereabouts, particularly during late-night hours.
Last summer marked Chicago’s safest in six decades.
