Rapper Mello Buckzz was hosting a mixtape release party inside that restaurant and lounge at the time of the shooting
A shooting in Chicago’s River North neighborhood has left four people dead and another 14 wounded, police said.
CHICAGO (WLS) — Eighteen people were shot, four fatally, in a mass shooting near a restaurant in River North Wednesday night, Chicago police said.
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The shooting took place at about 11:02 p.m. in the 300-block of West Chicago Avenue in front of the Artis Restaurant and Lounge. Video from the scene overnight shows the chaos as crews rushed to treat the wounded.
Police said a dark-colored vehicle drove past and shots were fired into a crowd of people. The vehicle then fled the scene.
Rapper Mello Buckzz was hosting a mixtape release party inside that restaurant and lounge at the time. She released a statement on Instagram asking for people to pray for the victims.
Two men, ages 24 and 25, were transported to Stroger Hospital, where they were pronounced dead, police said.
Two women were transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
Three other victims were transported to hospitals in critical condition and another in serious condition, police said.
Ten others were transported to hospitals in good to fair condition.
Sharonda Booth’s daughter, 26-year-old Taylor Walker, was killed at the shooting and her daughter’s girlfriend was also shot at the mixtape release event. She was outside Northwestern Memorial Hospital as family members waited for updates.
“My girlfriend got shot too,” Booth said. “My girlfriend told me that they put her in an ambulance, they took her out of one ambulance and put her in another one and she said that they were transferring her here. There were several people out here standing around here trying to find out and their loved ones were at Cook County, at Stroger.”
People who live in the area say they heard several gunshots.
“Boom, boom, boom…it hasn’t been that bad in awhile,” neighbor Debra Brady said.
Police are still investigating, but a source told ABC7 investigators believe multiple shooters were involved.
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