Chicago’s holiday spirit was marred on November 21, 2025, when a pair of shootings in the city’s Loop left one teenager dead and eight others wounded, sending shockwaves through a downtown packed with revelers for the annual Christmas tree lighting and other festive events. The violence unfolded despite a significant police presence and advance warnings about possible unrest linked to so-called “teen takeover” gatherings organized on social media.
The first shooting erupted just before 10 p.m. near the iconic Chicago Theatre on State Street, where crowds had gathered to celebrate the city’s official Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. According to ABC7 Chicago, officers on patrol heard gunfire and saw a large group scatter in panic. In the aftermath, seven teenagers—ranging in age from 13 to 17—were found shot, most suffering wounds to their legs or hips. Video from nearby news crews captured the chaos, with dozens of young people fleeing and bystanders scrambling for cover.
Authorities identified the wounded as a 14-year-old boy grazed in the stomach, a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old boy each grazed in the left thigh, a 14-year-old girl shot in the right hip, a 16-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy both shot in the leg, and a 13-year-old girl shot in the leg. Most were treated at local hospitals and listed in good or fair condition, with four taken to Lurie Children’s Hospital, two to Stroger Hospital, and one to Northwestern Hospital. Police said the quick response of officers and medical teams helped prevent further tragedy, but the shock lingered among witnesses and residents alike.
Less than an hour later, violence struck again just five blocks away, near Dearborn and Monroe streets. This time, a 14-year-old boy, later identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office as Armani Floyd, was shot multiple times and succumbed to his injuries at Northwestern Hospital. An 18-year-old man was also shot in the leg and hospitalized in serious condition. As of the following day, no suspects were in custody for either shooting, and police had not confirmed whether the two incidents were connected, according to Block Club Chicago and the Chicago Sun-Times.
The shootings occurred on one of the busiest nights of the year for downtown Chicago, with thousands returning for holiday celebrations like the Christkindlmarket and the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. The city had braced for large crowds and potential disturbances, having seen social media posts in the days leading up to the events warning of a planned “teen takeover”—a term used for large, often unsupervised gatherings of young people that have, in the past, devolved into violence or disorder.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson addressed the city’s fears and frustrations the morning after the shootings. “It is quite frankly frustrating, and quite upsetting when this type of violence takes place because it does engender and evoke fear,” he said, as reported by ABC7 Chicago. Johnson emphasized that the city had not been caught off guard. “There was a communication that was delivered to CPS to encourage young people not to participate in these unauthorized gatherings,” he explained. The city had deployed 700 additional police officers for the night, along with community violence intervention workers, and had 300 more officers scheduled for the weekend’s festivities. “We will have a strong police presence. We’ll have stronger control over how traffic flows,” Johnson promised.
Despite these efforts, the violence could not be prevented. “Clearly what we put in place did not do enough to prevent what we were concerned about from actually manifesting,” Johnson admitted during a Saturday press conference, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He called for more to be done to provide safe spaces for Chicago’s youth, saying, “These types of violent gatherings can never be an alternative, nor can they be normalized.” Johnson also highlighted the need for adults to remain vigilant: “There’s always more we as adults can do to make sure that we know where our kids are and what they are doing.”
The city’s response to teen gatherings has been a point of political contention. Earlier in the year, Alderman Brian Hopkins had pushed for a “snap curfew” bill that would have allowed police to impose curfews for minors on short notice—a measure passed by the City Council but ultimately vetoed by Mayor Johnson. An attempt to override the veto failed, leaving the city to rely on existing strategies of increased policing and youth outreach. Hopkins, for his part, reported on social media that hundreds of juveniles had been rioting in the Loop and claimed officers were attacked with mace and stun guns, though police did not confirm any hospitalizations for officers.
Community leaders echoed the mayor’s call for greater supervision and support for young people. Pastor Donovan Price, a community violence interrupter, urged teens to bring adults with them to large gatherings. “Bring some family with you. Bring mom, auntie, bring somebody with you—an adult with you—and just watch out. Be careful, and I’ll pray for you,” he told ABC7 Chicago. City officials also noted that 18 people were arrested Friday night for curfew violations and various assaults, but none were considered suspects in the shootings. Five weapons were recovered during the night’s chaos, but the investigation was still ongoing as of Saturday.
For many Chicagoans, the violence was both a sobering reminder of the challenges facing the city and a call to persevere. Some holiday-goers refused to let the tragedy dampen their spirits. “Even though we had an incident downtown yesterday, that was very unfortunate, nothing can stop me from coming to celebrate our city, the holidays and lighting on Michigan Avenue,” said Light Festival attendee Minka Giles, quoted by ABC7 Chicago. Others, like resident Edith Murry, expressed resilience. “There’s a lot of people out here. I love Chicago.”
Still, the events of November 21 have reignited debate over how best to balance public safety with opportunities for youth engagement. While some advocate for stricter curfews and more aggressive policing, others—including Johnson and his allies—argue for investment in jobs, recreation, and safe spaces, especially in the city’s underserved neighborhoods. The mayor’s message was clear: “We have more work to do in this city to provide safe spaces for our young people.”
As the holiday season continues, Chicago officials say they will keep monitoring downtown activity closely and adjust safety measures as needed. For a city eager to celebrate, the hope is that future gatherings can be marked by joy, not tragedy.
