Two Senn High School students, a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old, were struck by gunfire in Edgewater on Thursday, as reported by Fox32 Chicago. The shooting, which took place a few blocks from the school shortly after dismissal, left the teens injured with wounds to their arms and legs. According to Chicago police, a vehicle approached the students on the 1100 block of West Catalpa Avenue around 3:35 p.m., from which the assailant opened fire before escaping. The victims were later transported to St. Francis Hospital in good condition.
This incident is part of a disturbing pattern of violence against students of Senn High School, marking the second shooting involving its students this year. The first, a grave incident that resulted in the death of 16-year-old student Daveon Gibson in January, still lingers in the minds of the school community while they confront this fresh bout of violence. With the shooter remaining at large and unapprehended, fears have been stirred among both students and parents.
Parents are demanding concrete measures from local authorities in the shooting's wake. As detailed by the Chicago Sun-Times, one parent expressed anxieties about the normalization of a violent learning environment, saying, "I don't want [my kid] thinking of school as this volatile, potentially violent environment [because] it weighs on my mind heavily." The concern reflects a broader unease pervading the school community.
After the incident, Senn High School Principal Holly Dacres addressed the school's community, reinforcing the support network for the shaken students. "This afternoon after dismissal, shots were fired in the Edgewater community off school grounds," Dacres said in a letter obtained by Fox32 Chicago. She further conveyed her understanding of the community's distress particularly as it reels from the previous tragedy. The school has collaborated with the Chicago police and the CPS Office of Safety and Security and has brought the CPS Crisis Management Unit to Senn to provide much-needed counseling.
The Chicago Police Department's Area Three Detectives are investigating the shooting, as no suspects have been taken into custody yet. As worried parents call for action, the school’s efforts to provide stability and assurance to its students following these events reflect the ongoing challenge of maintaining safety around educational institutions amidst the prevalence of gun violence.
