Chicago police responded to massive crowds of teenagers Saturday night at Millennium Park, one day after a similar gathering took place at 31st Street Beach, prompting police to heighten their presence along the lakefront.
Video taken Saturday night showed a massive presence at the park, along with large groups of people in the area. A similar gathering took place Friday night near 31st Street Beach and eventually came to an end after a teenager was shot.
One witness, who asked not to be identified, said he saw a chaotic scene unfold.
"It’s heartbreaking, kids fighting, chasing each other, some of them got guns," he said. "It's really heartbreaking when one of them actually gets hurt, and that’s unfortunate, happened last night."
Hundreds of teenagers, possibly even thousands, gathered at the beach after seeing flyers posted on social media for a meetup of teens.
"It was a lot of cops here, but they were still outnumbered," the witness added. "There were so many teenagers that showed up, and they tried to keep the peace and keep them under control."
The gathering ended after a 14-year-old boy was shot in the thigh just before 9 p.m. The gunshots sent hundreds of teens running and sparked panic across the beach.
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"We were actually on live and heard the gunshots, and then he just collapsed on the ground," the witness told NBC 5.
Cellphone video obtained by NBC 5 shows a vehicle, believed to be a Tesla, fully engulfed following the shooting.
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"It was a car, they were standing on multiple cars, standing on cars, and one of the cars just kept driving in circles, which I believe that’s the one that caught on fire, they set on fire," the witness said.
Police didn't release additional specifics on the incident, but did say it "continually monitors and adjusts resources as necessary so residents and visitors can safely enjoy the city, including our beaches and lakefront area."
"Last night, CPD monitored activity happening across the city and officers were in place to quickly respond to active incidents and large gatherings," the statement added. "We will continue to have sufficient resources in place as we work to strengthen safety in every neighborhood."
Police say a squad car was also damaged, but no officers were injured. Police did arrest one person Friday night, a 17-year-old boy, who has been accused of multiple gun crimes.
"What’s its going to take? The community has to step up, parents have to step up, we can’t keep blaming politicians and waiting on them," the witness said. "It starts with us, its going to take us to save us."
