CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago police arrested 40 people Sunday night, including dozens of teenagers, in the city’s South Loop neighborhood after officials said a large gathering turned “disorderly.”
CPD said police officers responded at about 8 p.m. near South Canal Street and West Roosevelt Road, where the group had gathered. Officials said the group ignored multiple commands to leave the area, after which responding officers began making arrests.
By the end of the night, 30 people — ranging in age from 12 – 17 — were charged with one misdemeanor count of reckless conduct. Several others were charged with trespassing, bodily harm, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Among the detained was a 15-year-old who was charged with possessing a firearm with a laser sight and a silencer. Another teen was accused of possessing a machine gun and was cited for possessing high capacity magazines and “metal piercing bullets,” officials said.
Of the 40 people arrested, 37 were minors. Three firearms were seized.
At an unrelated press conference on Monday, Interim Chicago Police Supt. Fred Waller said the arrests "should send a message."
“A message to the families and to the parents — and we know everyone doesn’t have a predictable home life — but we’re trying to deal with the youth in a certain way," he said. "We haven’t arrested people like that, but this group got so out of hand that we had no choice.”
Waller said that when officers normally announce a curfew and ask people to leave the area, that's what they do. But that wasn't the case Sunday night.
"[Sunday] they, so to speak, crossed the line," he told reporters.
No injuries were reported, though Waller also said on Monday that some of the young people began fighting amongst each other.
One photo posted to social media showed a convenience store worker cleaning up one of the aisles in his shop after a group of young people reportedly ransacked the shelves and littered the floor with merchandise.
Officials said it was the second time in recent days that groups of teens targeted the area along Roosevelt Road after word went out on social media.
“The arrests were a result of their actions,” Waller said. “We didn’t take a different posture. It’s just that, when we asked them to start to go home, they refused to go home.”
According to the website CWB Chicago, police estimated between 300 – 400 people were in the group.
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