Mayor bans unaccompanied minors from Millennium Park after 6 p.m. in wake of 16-year-old’s fatal shooting near The Bean – Chicago Tribune
Mayor Lori Lightfoot banned unaccompanied minors from visiting Millennium Park after 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday to prevent chaos, but her decision provoked criticism from civil libertarians.
A young person lost his life in Millennium Park last night, and now the city is going to enforce a new policy requiring youth to behave in public spaces.
Police identified the fatally shot teenager as Seandell Holliday. A 17-year-old boy was detained in the park shortly after the shooting.
Chicago police superintendent David Brown and several other officials announced a new policy to encourage young people to enjoy downtown with adult supervision.
Chicago Public Schools officials planned to send parents a communication about summer programs and start positive conversations with students, parents and principals.
Brown pointed responsibility for large crowds at social media posts telling teens to come downtown. The posts also caused a gathering in Jackson Park that ended in a shooting.
Brown tried to walk a line between blaming parents and blaming the teens for the violence. He also said that young people were just trying to get out.
Chicago’s ban on unaccompanied teens comes at a sensitive time for the city and its mayor, who has been under pressure to address city violence and mayhem.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois said the ban would result in unnecessary stops and arrests and strain relations between CPD and young people of color.
A mother and her two children visited the iconic art installation on Saturday, though they were on higher alert.
The couple brought their children downtown to celebrate El-Tigani’s 39th birthday and participate in the Hustle Chicago stair-climbing event.
Saturday’s shooting happened in the 200 block of East Randolph Street, and two people were still being questioned by detectives in connection with the homicide at The Bean.
The police report suggests Holliday and the shooter were among a group of teens involved in the downtown disturbance when the shooting occurred. The victim jumped onto the back of the suspect and the shooter ran away.
A second male was seen in close proximity to the 17-year-old suspect at the time of his arrest. He took out a gun, but was stopped after a brief foot chase.
Ghost guns are sold online without a serial number, making them easier for anyone to acquire, including minors, criminals, and other prohibited purchasers.
Police arrested 26 juveniles and four adults downtown Saturday night. Seven guns were recovered and five arrests were related to gun possession.
The mayor of Chicago issued a statement calling the shooting “utterly unacceptable” and saying her heart was breaking for the mother.
For more on this story consider these sources:
- Mayor Lightfoot bans unaccompanied minors from Millennium Park after 6 p.m. in wake of 16-year-old’s fatal shooting near The Bean Chicago Tribune
- Teenager shot to death at major Chicago tourist destination Fox News
- Deadly shooting in Millennium Park prompts weekend curfew WGN News
- Mayor Lori Lightfoot enacts weekend curfew after 3 shot, 1 killed near Millennium Park ‘Bean’ WLS-TV
- 2 men shot during overnight chaos near Millennium Park CBS News
- View Full Coverage on Google News