Cops say 9 arrested after young people fought in park

By CNN Newsource

Published May 24, 2021 1:37 PM

CHICAGO (WBBM) — Police arrested nine people Saturday night as large groups gathered and got into fights in and around Millennium Park.

Police said Sunday that they arrested eight juveniles and one adult in connection with the fighting.

“The Chicago Police Department has ensured that sufficient resources have been deployed to ensure the safety of residents and visitors throughout Chicago, including the downtown districts,” police said in a statement.

Police Supt. David Brown also met with officers on the downtown detail to thank them for their work in protecting residents.

A man was also shot in the Loop very early Sunday morning, though it was not specified whether the incident was related to the large crowds and fights in Millennium Park.

Police said at 12:39 a.m., the 20-year-old man was walking in the 100 block of North Wabash Avenue, just west of Millennium Park, with a group of people when a man in another group fired shots and grazed his leg. The victim said he did not know anyone in the group that included the gunman and refused medical treatment on the scene.

Groups of young people flooding downtown Chicago and getting into fight have been a concern for several weeks. One alderman last week said the city needs to stop the crime that comes with this fast, to send a message that these crimes won’t be tolerated heading into summer because it is not the first time this has happened.

The concern is this year it could get worse.

Two weeks ago, a CBS 2 photojournalist saw someone throwing things at a Chicago Police Department cruise and trash cans and planters knocked over as large groups of teens moved through downtown causing what police called “disturbances.”

“If we look the other way and allow it to happen, it is only going to get worse as the summer goes on,” said Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd). “It’s just a matter of time before someone is hurt, if not killed because there have been some weapons involved in this, too.”

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