Chicago was gripped by a spate of armed robberies on Sunday, with police now drawing links between the 10 reported incidents that spanned from Lincoln Park to Austin. Starting in the upscale Lincoln Park neighborhood and marching west, the first robbery was called in at 8:40 p.m. on the 400 block of West Wrightwood Avenue, followed by successive heists in the area – striking at the 2600 block of North Halsted Street, and the 2300 block of West Nelson Street, as detailed by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The suspects then took their operation downtown, hitting the 400 block of South Plymouth Court at 11 p.m., then targeting 400 South State Street a quick, 10 minutes later, police said. Continuing their criminal odyssey, the perpetrators ventured further west, executing a trio of robberies between 11:19 p.m. and 11:32 p.m., reported ABC7 Chicago. Locations included the 1500 block of North Wood Street, and the 200 block of North Peoria Street, and culminated at the 2000 block of West Adams Street.
The spree concluded with an incident in the 1200 block of North Central Avenue around 1:30 a.m. According to police, the perpetrators wielded handguns and donned black ski masks, hooded sweatshirts, and pants. Eyewitness accounts described the suspects as four Black men, aged between 15 and 25. A silver Kia sedan and a grey or brown GMC SUV were identified as their vehicles – tools in a night-long display of brazen theft and terror.
Victims were allegedly coerced to surrender their valuables, sometimes at gunpoint; further, these suspects reportedly demanded phone passwords before escaping the scene in their vehicles. Law enforcement is rigorously assembling clues, broadcasting a call for insights from the public that could lead to captures. Anyone who can shed light on these crimes is encouraged to contact police at (312) 744-8263 or (312) 746-7394. Police surveillance and investigative efforts continue as the city grapples with the impact and the audacity of the robbery rampage.
