Police said the 13-year-old suspect was arrested minutes after gunfire erupted near South Prairie Avenue.
CHICAGO, IL — A 13-year-old boy has been charged in a Saturday night shooting that wounded four boys in Bronzeville, Chicago police said Monday, after officers responded to gunfire near East 45th Street and South Prairie Avenue.
The case places a child suspect at the center of another burst of youth gun violence on the South Side as city leaders prepare for summer crowds, late-night gatherings and school break. The boy was charged as a juvenile with four felony counts of aggravated battery involving discharge of a firearm and two felony weapons counts. The wounded boys, ages 11 to 14, were treated at hospitals and are expected to survive.
Police said officers were called about 9:39 p.m. Saturday to the 4500 block of South Prairie Avenue. Four boys were found wounded near one another after shots were fired. The victims included an 11-year-old boy shot in the left leg, two 13-year-old boys shot in the foot or leg and a 14-year-old boy grazed in the back. Most were taken to the University of Chicago’s Comer Children’s Hospital. One early police account listed Stroger Hospital for one of the 13-year-old victims. Former Chicago police commander Patty Casey said the case raises a hard question: “Where does a 13-year-old get a gun?”
Investigators said the gunman pulled out a firearm and opened fire before leaving the immediate area. Police later said the 13-year-old suspect was taken into custody about 20 minutes after the shooting in the 4600 block of South Calumet Avenue, a short distance east of the scene. Officials have not released the boy’s name because he is a juvenile. Police have not publicly said where the gun came from, whether it was recovered or whether anyone else may face charges tied to the firearm. Community leaders said as many as 300 teens had gathered nearby before the shooting. Neighbors described the crowd as a party that spilled into the street, while some called it a takeover. Police have not publicly confirmed the exact size of the crowd.
The shooting happened in Bronzeville, a historic South Side neighborhood that has seen heavy attention from police, aldermen and outreach workers during past summers. The weekend violence also included another shooting less than two hours later and less than a mile away, in the 4600 block of South Federal Street. In that case, police said an 18-year-old woman was shot in the abdomen and listed in critical condition, a 19-year-old woman was shot in the hand and a 20-year-old man was shot in the shoulder. Police have not announced arrests in the Federal Street shooting and have not said the two shootings are connected.
The 13-year-old suspect was scheduled for an initial appearance in Cook County Juvenile Court on Monday. The weapons charges include unlawful possession of a firearm by a person under 18 and possession of a firearm without a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card. Area One detectives are handling the investigation. Because the case is in juvenile court, many records and hearings may not be open in the same way adult criminal cases are. Police have not announced whether prosecutors are seeking detention or whether any additional charges are under review.
Ald. Pat Dowell, whose 3rd Ward includes the area, said adults, businesses and social media platforms need to answer for gatherings that draw large groups of young people and turn violent. Dowell said in a statement that parents “must be accountable” and that businesses involved in hosting such events should face consequences if needed. Bamani Obadele, with the violence prevention group Acclivus Inc., said the shooting shows the need for both accountability and care for young people. “There’s no easy solution,” Obadele said, adding that outreach groups are trying to give teens places to gather with adult supervision.
Street pastor Donovan Price said the timing is worrying because the shooting came as summer begins. “We have to do something,” Price said. Father Michael Pfleger, who had hosted a Summer Peace Takeover at St. Sabina Church at the start of the weekend, said large groups of teens can quickly become dangerous when no one is guiding them. He said no adult or institution is “off the hook” when children are harmed. Police have not released more details about what led to the gunfire or whether a dispute started before the shooting.
The four wounded boys were reported in good or fair condition after the shooting. The next major step is the juvenile court process, while detectives continue reviewing what happened on South Prairie Avenue and whether others played a role.
Author note: Last updated June 8, 2026.