Massive party may have been linked to 4 shootings on Chicago's West Side over weekend
Many questions remained Monday about a slew of shootings in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood over the weekend.
CBS News Chicago has learned it is believed that the shootings were connected to a massive party with hundreds of people in the street.
Two people lost their lives, and at least 11 others were wounded, across four separate shootings.
A witness who lives on the block said there is an older community that lives on Maypole Avenue near the scene of the party and the shootings, and never in her many years there has she seen a crowd so big as the one Saturday night into Sunday morning.
The witness did not want to speak on camera, but said the 18-year-old boy who was killed in one of the shootings, Kaleb Williams, died in front of her door.
Ring camera video next door to where Williams was shot showed a huge police presence. A few women seemed to take cover on a stoop in the video.
Neighbors said the sounds woke them up — young people in the street, and then gunshots.
The first shots were fired in the 200 block of North Lamon Avenue in the wee hours Sunday. Police said this shooting happened at 1:40 a.m., though social media video documented it earlier.
Chicago police said officers responded to a person shot and found the victim, a 20-year-old woman, with multiple gunshot wounds to her arms. She was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where she was listed in good condition.
At 1:47 a.m., four people were shot in the 4500 block of West Wilcox Street — a few blocks to the south and east, and technically in the adjoining West Garfield Park neighborhood, being east of Cicero Avenue.
In the Wilcox Street shooting, two men were taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital. A 28-year-old man suffered a graze wound to the leg and was in good condition. Another 28-year-old man was hit in the head and grazed in the neck and was in serious condition.
The two teens were taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County. A 15-year-old boy was hit multiple times in the body and was in good condition. A 16-year-old was also hit multiple times in the body and was in serious condition.
At 2:48 a.m., police said six people were shot around West End and La Crosse avenues. A 22-year-old woman identified as Jashyra Blackhawk was killed, and five others were wounded — a 29-year-old woman, and four boys and men ages 17 to 29.
Three of the male victims were reported in critical condition.
At 4:37 a.m., another shooting transpired — this one on Maypole Avenue near Lavergne Avenue. Police said there was a quarrel with two people in a car, and the people in the car opened fire.
Williams was hit twice in the back and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The other 18-year-old was hit in the arm and was taken to Mt. Sinai, initially listed in good condition.
In all, there were four crime scenes and over a dozen victims.
Organized as a Club JRoy event, the crowds also caused damage to police vehicles, and residents reported the crowds climbed on their cars.
Police were overwhelmed.
"A huge area," said former Chicago police Supt. Anthony Riccio. "It's very manpower intensive, and it could tie up officers for hours."
Riccio said it appears the four scenes were all related to the unauthorized party, which was advertised on social media.
"It's also possible the officers knew about it, but didn't expect the scope of it; didn't expect it to be 800 or 1,000 people," Riccio said.
Riccio explained how difficult it is for police to handle such a large scene — a reason why reinforcements sometimes have to be called in from other nearby districts and departments. In the case of the party in the South Austin neighborhood over the weekend, Chicago police officers were called in from O'Hare International Airport, the Northwest Side, and downtown.
"It's not uncommon to call in assistance, sometimes from other districts in the city, but it's not uncommon to call in suburban departments for help as well," said Riccio. "Oftentimes, suburban departments are even closer."
Riccio said police are now hoping that someone — anyone within that large crowd — will come forward with information to help them solve the two murders.
Meanwhile, the Cook County Crime Stoppers are offering a $10,000 reward for anyone with information, hoping one of the hundreds of people who were present Sunday will come forward.
It was not known late Monday if the person who hosted the party, and posted about it on social media, will be held accountable in any way.
As of late Monday, only one person had been taken into custody on accusations of throwing a brick at a Chicago police vehicle. No one else has been arrested.