The 39-year-old victim drove herself to Northwestern Memorial Hospital after the early Sunday shooting.
CHICAGO, IL — A 39-year-old woman was critically wounded early Sunday outside a bar in Lincoln Park after gunfire broke out near West Belden Avenue, Chicago police said.
The shooting added to a violent overnight stretch in Chicago and drew new concern in one of the city’s best-known North Side neighborhoods. Police said the woman was outside in the 600 block of West Belden Avenue when shots were fired shortly before 4 a.m. She suffered gunshot wounds to her body and later arrived at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where she was listed in critical condition.
Police said the shooting happened at about 3:59 a.m. Sunday near Lincoln and Belden avenues, an area lined with restaurants, bars, apartments and small businesses. The woman told police she heard gunshots, felt pain and realized she had been struck. No other injuries were reported in the Lincoln Park shooting. Police had not announced an arrest by Monday morning, and detectives were still working to determine who fired the shots and what led to the gunfire.
The shooting followed reports of late-night crowds in the area. Police radio traffic cited calls of shots fired along Lincoln Avenue, where a street party with loud music from cars had been reported around 3 a.m. A neighbor identified as Al told reporters he woke to his dog barking, then heard several shots and screaming outside. “I heard, ‘Pop, pop, pop,’” he said. The woman’s name had not been released, and officials did not say whether she was the intended target or a bystander.
By daylight, the block showed signs of the overnight violence. A coffee shop nearby had a line of customers, while dried blood could be seen along the front and side of the building, according to local reports from the scene. Residents said the shooting raised concern because it happened near places where people gather after bars close. Police did not name the bar connected to the location and did not release a description of a suspect or vehicle.
Ald. Timmy Knudsen, whose 43rd Ward includes much of Lincoln Park, said in a statement that additional patrols had been deployed after the shooting. Knudsen also asked people with information to contact authorities. His ward office describes the area as including Lincoln Park, Old Town Triangle and the Gold Coast. The shooting occurred in a neighborhood often associated with restaurants, nightlife, DePaul University, lakefront parks and dense residential blocks.
The Lincoln Park shooting came during a weekend in which Chicago police reported multiple shootings across the city. In one citywide count, at least 20 people had been shot and two killed from Friday evening through late Sunday. Other incidents included shootings in Lawndale, Chatham, Gage Park and other neighborhoods. Police also reported several teenage victims during the overnight period, including young people wounded in a separate South Side attack.
Investigators had not released details Monday on whether surveillance video had been recovered from nearby businesses or homes. The area around Lincoln and Belden has storefronts, traffic signals and residential buildings that could help detectives trace movement before and after the shooting. Police also did not say whether shell casings were recovered, how many shots were fired or whether the woman had been with other people when she was struck.
The next steps in the case center on witness interviews, video review and any physical evidence collected near the scene. No charges had been filed as of the latest public updates. Police said detectives were investigating, but they had not announced a motive. The victim remained hospitalized in critical condition, and authorities had not released further medical details.
Residents who spoke after the shooting described fear and frustration over violence near nightlife spots. Al, the neighbor who heard the shots, said he worries about children and other bystanders walking through the area. His comments reflected a broader concern among some neighbors that late-night crowds and gunfire can quickly turn a busy commercial block into a dangerous scene. City officials, meanwhile, pointed to added patrols as the immediate response while the investigation continues.
The case remained open Monday, June 8, with the victim in critical condition and no arrest announced. Detectives were expected to continue reviewing evidence and seeking witnesses tied to the early Sunday gunfire near West Belden Avenue.
Author note: Last updated June 8, 2026.