NORTH LAWNDALE — A man is in custody for a mass shooting on the West Side that left 15 people wounded at a Halloween party over the weekend.
The “senseless act of violence” happened about 1 a.m. Sunday in the 1200 block of South Pulaski Road, 10th District Commander William Betancourt said during a news conference. The alleged shooter had been “ejected from the party,” but he returned a few minutes later and fired shots, Betancourt said.
The man fled and was arrested by police nearby in the 4000 block of West 14th Street, where they also took his gun, Betancourt said.
The victims range in age from 26 to 53, Betancourt said. Two of the victims were taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition; both have now stabilized, a hospital spokesperson said Monday.
Area detectives are investigating, Betancourt said. Charges have not been finalized, a police spokesperson said Monday morning.
The host of the Halloween party, which had about 100 attendees, has a “history of throwing unlicensed events,” Betancourt said. The city plans to investigate.
Hampton Brand Inc., the business listed at 1258 S. Pulaski Road where the shooting took place, is a registered art gallery with a license to sell art, according to a spokesperson with the city’s business affairs and consumer protection department.
A sign on the building listed it as Studio 1258. Bullet holes were visible Monday on a metal grate covering a window on the building.
Social media posts show Studio 1258 being advertised and used a concert space.
On May 6, the business affairs department issued a cease-and-desist order and citations to the business for “operating without a public place of amusement license and operating without liquor license,” the spokesperson said.
The department can investigate “as necessary” once police conclude their investigation, the spokesperson said.
A summary closure of the business was issued Monday morning, a police spokesperson said.
FSH Enterprises bought the building at 1258 S. Pulaski Road for $22,000 in 2015, according to public records.
The property is delinquent in its taxes with over $27,000 in debt, according to Cook County Treasurer records. The bill was mailed to FSH Enterprises, a trust with an address in suburban Maywood.
The building has an extended history of building code violations, and the city has repeatedly taken FSH to court to put the property in compliance with code, according to court documents. The property last failed inspections in 2021, city records show.
The building is down the street from the Chicago West Side Christian School and the nonprofit Young Men’s Educational Network.
Mike Trout, the nonprofit’s executive director and a 30-year resident of North Lawndale, said shootings like this are not — and shouldn’t be — a part of normal life in the neighborhood.
“It’s upsetting to hear that there was a mass shooting right next to where you live and where other children are. We’re so grateful that so many people wrapped their arms around us, including Chicago police, city services, and we intend to stand with those hurt by this incident and others. It affects all of us,” said Trout.
Antoine Jones, who lives around the corner from the building on 13th Street, said he was outside relaxing with his family and friends when the shooting occurred.
“This is just getting ridiculous. We can’t ever find a good time to just relax or feel safe in our own homes,” said Jones.
An emergency assistance center will be open noon-7 p.m. Tuesday at the Young Mens Educational Network, 1241 S. Pulaski Road, to offer support to victims and their families, said Community Policing Director Glen Brooks.
Sunday’s shooting comes one year after another mass shooting wounded 14 people — three of them children — in a drive-by on Halloween in East Garfield Park. One man died from his wounds days later, according to the Tribune.
“I don’t know whether to scream or to cry. … At what point does it stop?” Ald. Monique Scott (24th) said at Sunday’s news conference. “I want to call my community out for good. Not for an incident like this.”
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