(NewsNation) — Two teenagers were shot and 15 people were arrested after hundreds of young people caused a disturbance in downtown Chicago Saturday night, Chicago police said.
The two shot were 16 and 17-year-old males. Shots were fired from an unknown person or persons at around 9 p.m. on Saturday, according to police.
The 16-year-old sustained a gunshot wound to the arm and the 17-year-old sustained a gunshot wound to his left leg. Both were taken to the hospital in fair condition.
Groups of teens were seen punching, kicking and stomping on someone on the ground at least two times, NewsNation affiliate WGN reported. People were also spotted jumping on parked cars and smashing windows.
“The crime in Chicago is simply out of hand. It’s nuts,” community activist Patrick Gibbons told WGN. “We had people jumping on cars, this is insane.”
The group was gathered in the area of the Loop from Michigan Ave. to Clark St, near Chicago’s Millennium Park. A heavy police presence responded to the disturbance.
Nine adults and six juveniles were arrested. Most were charged with reckless conduct but one 16-year-old boy is also facing a charge for unlawful use of weapon, according to WGN. Police say an adult and juvenile were also charged with possession of a stolen vehicle.
Community activists are now calling on city leaders to help address the crime.
“We need to give the Chicago Police Department the resources and funding they need to take care of this crime in our community,” activist and president of the Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce told WGN.
The chaos disrupted public transit services and traffic in the area.
“There needs to be more respect for our police officers. There needs to be more law and order. The punks on the street, they don’t care, they think they can do anything they want,” Gibbons said.
Locals Stuart and Heidi Floyd say they only saw a large group of kids as they walked by, but didn’t see anything destructive happening.
“When we walked by we saw a large group of kids and they were just kids being kids. We didn’t see the vandalism or destruction,” Heidi told WGN.
This isn’t the first time this weekend police have responded to a massive group of teens in Chicago. Hundreds took over 31st street beach Friday night where a 14-year-old boy was also shot.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot called on parents to partner with the city to help stem violence in a statement released Sunday.
“We as a city cannot and will not allow any of our public spaces to become a platform for criminal conduct. Most importantly, parents and guardians must know where their children are and be responsible for their actions. Instilling the important values of respect for people and property must begin at home,” Lightfoot said.
“We ask parents to partner with us by making sure that your children’s plans are safe and that they know when to exit a situation before it becomes unsafe.”
