A baseball game between the White Sox and Oakland Athletics at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago was marred by a “shooting incident” on Friday night, as reported by local law enforcement. The Chicago Police Department has launched an investigation into the incident, with Tom Ahern, the deputy director of news affairs and communications, at the helm. A press briefing was initially planned for after the game, but it was later scrapped.
The number of casualties, if any, is yet to be determined. Blood stains were visible on the stadium floor in images shared on FOX 32 Chicago, indicating the location of the alleged incident. Videos shared by X, a company previously known on Twitter, showed a scene of chaos as some spectators fled the stadium, while others were waiting for a post-game concert by Vanilla Ice.
The concert was eventually called off due to “technical errors,” according to a message displayed on the stadium’s video board. The message apologized for the inconvenience and thanked fans for their understanding. The incident raises questions about stadium security, as it is unclear how a firearm was smuggled into the venue, which has stringent security measures including metal detectors and a strict no-weapons policy.
The game, which was attended by 21,906 people according to MLB.com’s box score, continued despite the incident. The Athletics, who are no longer in the running for the postseason, defeated the White Sox 12-4. The White Sox have not yet commented on the incident.
Oakland has won four of their last five games, while Chicago has suffered their 10th loss in 13 games.