A 14-year-old boy was killed and 17 other people were wounded in three separate mass shootings that took place within a span of six hours across Chicago on Wednesday, according to police.
The first took place at around 6 p.m. near the intersection of 13th Street and Christiana in the North Lawndale neighborhood, where five people were shot. A 14-year-old boy was shot in the head and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police.
A 16-year-old boy was also shot in the head and taken to an area hospital where he was in grave condition, according to police. Three other men in their 20s were also shot and hospitalized, according to police, who said their conditions had stabilized.
The second shooting was reported just 10 minutes later near the intersection of Douglas and Ridgeway in the same neighborhood. According to police, multiple assailants opened fire at the scene, injuring four teens and a 22-year-old man.
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An 18-year-old man was shot in the upper body, and was taken to an area hospital in critical condition, according to police. A 14-year-old boy was shot in the right arm, a 15-year-old boy was shot in the right leg, and a 17-year-old boy suffered a graze wound to his back. All were taken to area hospitals in good condition.
The 22-year-old man was hit in the right thigh, and is also in good condition, according to police.
Then just before midnight, eight people were wounded in a drive-by shooting in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on the city's North Side, according to police.
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The shooting took place in the 1600 block of North LaSalle Drive, officials said.
The group had been traveling on a party bus when someone inside a dark gray-colored Jeep Grand Cherokee opened fire. Police said a second, black Jeep Grand Cherokee, was also on the scene.
Authorities said a 24-year-old man was shot in the arm and a 26-year-old woman was shot in the leg, both taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the man in fair condition and the woman in serious.
Two other men, ages 42 and 52, were both shot in the leg and taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where they were in fair condition, according to police.
A 23-year-old man was shot in the groin and listed in serious condition at Northwestern, officials said. A 27-year-old man was shot in the chest and was dropped off at Northwestern in critical condition, according to police. A 29-year-old man was shot in the arm and took himself to Rush University Medical Center but was later transferred to Stroger Hospital, where he was in fair condition.
A 26-year-old woman was shot in the hand and took herself to Jackson Park Hospital where she was in good condition, police said.
No one is in custody in connection with any of the three shootings, according to Chicago police, who continue to investigate.
The shootings took place as federal authorities are launching a new strike force to battle gun trafficking in Chicago and four other metropolitan areas across the United States.
Attorney General Merrick Garland was expected to travel to Chicago Thursday to launch the initiative, which will focus on coordination between authorities in areas where guns are purchased and where they are ultimately used to commit crimes.
