Bedlam As Hundreds Of Teenagers Inundate Downtown Chicago

Police showed up in force in response to another rowdy crowd of teenagers who took to the streets of downtown Chicago on Saturday night.

Hundreds of young people made their way to Millennium Park — home to Chicago’s famous Cloud Gate “Bean” sculpture — smashing car windows and jumping on vehicles, according to local reports and videos posted to social media.

FOX 32 Chicago reported police helped escort tourists and others to their cars around the park, however, a man was beaten after teenagers jumped on his vehicle’s windshield. The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The same news station said it even decided not to keep its crew on the scene as shots were fired on the corner of Madison and Michigan Avenue. Police said two teenagers, ages 16 and 17, were shot around 9 p.m.

One Chicago resident who spoke with FOX 32 blamed “bad parenting” for the chaotic night. “Where are their parents at? That’s my question,” she said.

A similar gathering on Friday night at 31st Street Beach ended when a 14-year-old boy was shot in the thigh and taken to a hospital. Police arrested a 17-year-old, who was charged in connection to that shooting, per ABC affiliate WLS.

Chicago police “continually monitors and adjusts resources as necessary so residents and visitors can safely enjoy the city, including our beaches and lakefront area,” the department said in a statement reported by NBC 5 after the Friday night gathering.

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“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.”

As warmer weather arrives with the coming of spring, CBS Chicago noted that on Wednesday, around 150 teenagers gathered at the same park for the first “large group” incident of the season.

These meet-ups, which reportedly are preceded by invites circulating on social media, also took place last year.

In an effort to crack down on these chaotic gatherings, Chicago implemented rules last spring mandating that young people under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult to enter Millennium Park in the evenings after 6 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays.

At Least Four Dead In Alabama Mass Shooting

Four people are confirmed dead and multiple others are injured after a shooting Saturday night in Dadeville, Alabama, according to authorities.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) said it began an investigation after the shooting happened at around 10:34 p.m. near the 200 Block of Broadnax Street in Dadeville, located in Tallapoosa County.

“Currently, there have been four confirmed fatalities and multiple injuries,” ALEA said in a statement released Sunday morning. “Nothing further is available as the investigation is ongoing.”

The ALEA’s State Bureau of Investigations opened a death investigation at the request of the Dadeville police chief, the agency said in the press release. ALEA said local police, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the 5th Circuit District Attorney’s Office, are assisting with the investigation.

Sources told WRBL, a CBS affiliate, that 20 people were shot at a Sweet-16 birthday event at the Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio, and most of the injured victims were teenagers.

As of press time, law enforcement officials have not said whether any suspects have been taken into custody.

Dadeville is located about a 58-mile drive northeast of Montgomery and has a population of about 3,000 people.

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Dadeville pastor Ben Hayes posted on Facebook that he “stood outside of Lake Martin Hospital until 3 a.m. watching hearts break as families learned that their child had been shot – or even worse, dead,” according to AL.com.

Hayes also wrote how his “heart is broken” and shared that he “talked with parents, educators, students. My football players. Our pastors from First Baptist Church. No one knew what to say. Everyone was in shock. Police officers with looks of sadness on their faces. Nothing prepares you for this.”