Several downtown Chicago streets and area expressway ramps were closed Monday morning after hours of looting and unrest in the downtown area and multiple neighborhoods.
While Lake Shore Drive was reopened, northbound State Street into downtown was closed, as well as Clark Street, causing delays. Downtown bridges were raised overnight and remained closed Monday morning. Michigan Avenue also remains closed.
CTA lines were suspended from Fullerton to Cermak and Ashland to the lakefront, while Metra said each of its four downtown stations were running as normal. Around 7:50 a.m. the CTA began the process of restoring bus and train service. Pace service was expected to be restored by 8 a.m.
The Illinois Department of Transportation was slowly reopening ramps into downtown after closing them overnight, but some remained closed, including Ida B. Wells from I-290 and at I-90/I-94 from Division to Cermak.
Chaos erupted in downtown Chicago early Monday morning, with widespread looting at countless businesses, property damage and shots fired both at and by police.
The unrest began at around 12:20 a.m., when police were called to reports of a mob scene on Michigan Avenue. Large crowds gathered outside the Saks Fifth Avenue and Coach stores, with hundreds of people yelling and throwing things at officers.
Looters were captured on video in multiple locations, with merchandise taken and storefronts vandalized. Officers were told to respond wearing helmets and there were multiple reports of gunshots.
