Increased Police Presence at Mather High School After Student Shooting
Following a disturbing incident where a student was shot during dismissal at Mather High School, Chicago police have intensified their presence at the West Ridge campus. The shooting is believed to be connected to ongoing tensions between different groups of students.
Video footage obtained by Chicago Critter captures the altercation unfolding on the basketball courts at Mather Park, located behind the school, at approximately 3:15 p.m. Witnesses reported seeing a group of young individuals, some masked, causing a disturbance on the courts.
In the video, a group of about six young people, some wearing masks, rush towards a white car at the park’s edge. Four gunshots ring out as they reach the vehicle, prompting the group to swiftly retreat across the courts.
911 calls reporting shots fired flooded in shortly after initial reports of masked individuals on the courts. Although first responders did not find any victims at the scene, a 17-year-old boy later arrived at Evanston Hospital with a gunshot wound to his left arm, as confirmed by CPD.
The injured boy informed the police that he was inside a vehicle on North California when he was shot. Alderman Andre Vasquez revealed that the victim is a student at Mather High School.
Upon learning of the shooting, the school was placed on a “soft lockdown” as a precautionary measure.
Prior to the shooting incident, a 911 call was received by CPD around 2:30 p.m. regarding a “gang disturbance” outside the school. The caller reported that one of the teenagers involved had been seen with a gun during a previous altercation earlier in the year.
While police had dispatched patrol cars to monitor the school during dismissal, the altercation unfolded at Mather Park. Sources suggest that tensions between a group of Venezuelan students and other Hispanic students may have contributed to the situation.
In response to the incident, Chicago Public Schools is sending a “crisis team” to offer support to Mather students and staff. Vasquez confirmed that CPD will maintain a presence during school dismissal until further notice.
For the video footage of the incident, please refer to the clip provided by Chicago Critter above.
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