Police said two gunmen opened fire on a group near Cornell Paul Square Park.
CHICAGO, IL — Two men were killed and five other people were wounded early Friday when two armed men approached a group near a South Side park and opened fire, Chicago police said.
The shooting happened about 12:30 a.m. in the 5100 block of South Wood Street in Back of the Yards, near Cornell Paul Square Park. Police said no one was in custody Friday morning. Area One detectives were investigating the attack, which left one woman in critical condition and sent several others to hospitals.
Police said the group was standing outside near 51st and Wood streets when two men walked up, pulled out guns and began shooting. Two male victims were taken to nearby hospitals in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds and later died, police said. Their names and ages had not been released Friday morning. NBC 5 reporter Lisa Chavarria, describing video from the scene, said, “You can see the large amount of yellow evidence markers,” which she said are usually placed where shell casings are found.
The five surviving victims ranged in age from 21 to 54, according to police accounts released Friday morning. A 23-year-old woman was shot in the head and remained in critical condition. A 54-year-old man, a 32-year-old man, a 30-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man were taken to hospitals with multiple gunshot wounds. Police said their conditions ranged from fair to good, and CBS Chicago reported they were expected to recover. Investigators had not released a motive, a suspect description beyond the two armed men, or details about what led to the shooting.
The attack unfolded in a neighborhood that has seen other major shootings near the same area. In 2013, 13 people, including a 3-year-old boy, were wounded when gunmen opened fire near Cornell Square Park near 51st and Wood streets. Prosecutors later said that earlier shooting was tied to retaliation after a dispute. The new shooting also came as Chicago officials continued to track shifting gun violence trends. Recent police data cited by local reports showed fewer homicides in May 2026 than in May 2025, while shooting victims were up 4% and killings were higher compared with the same point last year.
Police had not announced charges by Friday morning. Area One detectives were handling the case, a standard step for shootings in that police district. Investigators were expected to review evidence from the scene, including shell casings and any nearby video, and to seek accounts from witnesses who were in or near the park area at the time of the gunfire. The Cook County medical examiner’s office was expected to identify the two men after relatives were notified.
Photos and video from the block showed a heavy police presence after the shooting, with yellow evidence markers spread across the ground. The area around 51st and Wood includes homes, streets and park space, making the overnight scene visible to nearby residents as officers worked under emergency lights. Police did not say whether the victims were targeted or whether the shooters fired into the group at random. They also did not say whether any weapons were recovered.
As of Friday morning, June 5, no arrests had been reported, two victims had died, one woman remained critically injured and four other wounded victims were listed in fair to good condition. The next public milestone is expected to be an update from police or the medical examiner’s office.
Author note: Last updated June 5, 2026.