12 shot in Chicago street attack as SUV opens fire in Washington Heights

A red SUV pulled up to a crowd on Chicago’s Far South Side and two people inside opened fire, leaving at least 12 people wounded in a fast-moving street attack that turned a Washington Heights block into a crime scene. The victims, eight men and four women ages 17 to 47, were scattered across four hospitals while detectives worked through more than 100 evidence markers.

Police said the shooting happened just after 11 p.m. in the 200 block of West 95th Street, where the SUV stopped near a large group before driving away after the gunfire. The brief burst of violence, carried out from a vehicle and against people gathered outside, left shattered car windows and a bus stop apparently struck by bullets, with glass spread across the sidewalk.

Two male victims were in critical condition, including one with a gunshot wound to the thigh. A 26-year-old woman was also in critical condition at University of Chicago Hospital. Another man suffered unknown injuries and refused medical treatment. Officers initially found a 32-year-old woman shot in the back and a 44-year-old man with graze wounds; both were listed in fair condition. The remaining victims were reported in good condition at University of Chicago Medical Center, Christ Hospital and Trinity Hospital.

The attack landed on Juneteenth, which sharpened the anguish for neighbors and community leaders on a night already marked by summer crowds and street activity. Street pastor Donovan Price called it a tragedy and said, “Fireworks should not turn into gunshots.” His reaction captured the shock of a shooting that unfolded in a public space where families and pedestrians would normally expect some measure of safety.

Area Two detectives were investigating as the block was sealed off and evidence technicians worked the scene. Police also said at least 21 people had been shot in Chicago since Friday evening, with four deaths, a toll that put the Washington Heights attack into a wider weekend of violence across the city. The SUV’s hit-and-run style made the shooting especially difficult to interrupt, leaving investigators to reconstruct the attack after the shooters had already disappeared into the city streets.