'Complete Chaos': Widespread Looting Hits Chicago After Police Incident
Chicago devolved into chaos overnight Sunday into Monday as crowds descended upon downtown stores in a mass frenzy of looting.
“We have lost control of our streets, and I don’t know how we will get them back,” Alderman Brian Hopkin said early Monday, according to WBBM-TV.
“This was no accident. This wasn’t random,” said WBBM news anchor Ryan Baker, describing the looting.
The station quoted a man it identified as the owner of Wabash Jewelers on Jewelers Row who insisted the looting was a coordinated effort.
“There was no anger. They politely told me that were going inside,” he said.
Looters came by car, prepared with bricks to break glass, he sad. Stolen merchandise went into U-Hauls, he said.
“It seemed coordinated,” he said.
State Street Chicago. 2:48 AM. Complete chaos. #ChicagoScanner pic.twitter.com/feXIMnqpv0
— Stefanie Petropoulos (@stefpetrop) August 10, 2020
The Gold Coast is being looted right now. What the hell is going on @chicagosmayor ? 3:11am. WTF! pic.twitter.com/SF0x4q6LIb
— Patrick Mannelly (@PatrickMannelly) August 10, 2020
Tensions began rising Sunday after Chicago police shot a suspect they said fired on them, according to WFLD.
At about 2:30 p.m. police were summoned to the Englewood neighborhood to respond to reports of a man with a gun. A foot chase ensued.
“During the foot pursuit, the offender turned and fired shots at the officers. The officers then returned, discharging their weapon,” said Deputy Chief Delonda Tally.
The condition of the suspect is not known. However, after the shooting, an inflamed crowd turned on police as rumors spread that officers had shot a child.
“We do have an officer that was maced by someone in the crowd. We do have an officer that sustained a shoulder injury from the incident with the crowd. One of our vehicles, the windows were shattered by a brick,” Tally said.
Hours later, into Monday morning, a locust-like cloud of looters descended on multiple stores in downtown Chicago, according to reports.
“The looting began shortly after midnight as people darted through broken store windows and doors along Michigan Avenue carrying shopping bags full of merchandise. Cars dropped off more people as the crowd grew. At least one U-Haul van was seen pulling up,” the Chicago Tribune reported.
Many tweeted the scenes of looting from the city.
Riots, vandalism and mass-looting broke out last night in #Portland #Seattle and #Chicago. Here we have a video of a massive crowd looting a store in Chicago. Full madness in the US ahead of the presidential election pic.twitter.com/Gr5TmntSLn
— BasedPoland (@BasedPoland) August 10, 2020
Stores looted, damaged in Chicago’s Goose Island neighborhood: https://t.co/XJbOYwSqlA pic.twitter.com/3v61QjL9h5
— WGN TV News (@WGNNews) August 10, 2020
Looter uses vehicle to break into a business at the Chicago BLM riot overnight. #BlackLivesMatter #ChicagoRiots pic.twitter.com/9CaddwItYO
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 10, 2020
Police were fired upon at about 4:30 a.m. Monday, department spokesman Tom Ahern said, according to the Tribune. A police vehicle was hit, but no officers were injured. Police returned fire, Ahern said, but it was not known if they hit anyone.
Ahern said some officers were injured in the looting, but could not provide details.
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