An early Friday wake-up call on Chicago’s South Side came in the form of gunshots and screeching tires, as a crew of armed carjackers ripped through three neighborhoods in under an hour and a half, leaving shaken residents and a fresh police alert in their wake.
Chicago police say at least four armed carjackings were reported within roughly 90 minutes, stretching from Back of the Yards to Chicago Lawn and McKinley Park. In some cases, victims were pistol‑whipped during the holdups, and officers believe the same crew is behind the rapid-fire string of attacks.
According to NBC Chicago, the first incident hit around 4:22 a.m. in the 4800 block of South Honore Street. Roughly 20 minutes later, another carjacking was reported in the 5900 block of South Maplewood Avenue at about 4:45 a.m. The crew allegedly struck again in the 3600 block of South Wolcott Avenue at about 5:30 a.m., then in the 4800 block of South Paulina Street at about 5:50 a.m.
Police say four to five men in dark clothing and ski masks rolled up in a stolen vehicle, jumped out with handguns and, in some cases, climbed into victims’ cars while accomplices drove off in the original vehicle. In two of the incidents, investigators say victims were struck with a handgun during the robbery.
Carjacking Trends
Chicago’s carjacking problem surged during the pandemic and peaked in 2021, but state data and local reporting indicate the numbers have eased since then. The Illinois General Assembly’s 2024 annual report notes that Chicago recorded 957 vehicle hijackings in 2024. Separate reporting credits interagency task forces and targeted funding to help boost recovery rates, even as arrests still account for only a small share of overall incidents, according to WBEZ.
Police Are Asking For Tips
Detectives are now trying to piece together video and witness accounts to pin down the masked crew. Investigators are reviewing available surveillance footage and say the tactic of arriving in one stolen vehicle and leaving in another mirrors patterns seen in previous carjacking rings, NBC Chicago reports.
Police are asking anyone with information to call 312-747-8384 or submit an anonymous tip through the department’s online portal. Neighbors along the affected blocks are also being urged to check doorbell cameras, security systems or dash‑cam footage from the early‑morning hours and share anything that might show the suspects or the stolen vehicle.
Why Crews Sometimes Target Drivers
Reporting on juvenile and crew‑style carjackings in Chicago has shown how small groups can coordinate fast, violent takings using stolen cars and social media, then bounce between neighborhoods before police can catch up. A Chicago Sun-Times investigation into crews such as the so‑called SRT Boys traced how some groups moved from petty theft into more organized vehicular hijackings, a pattern police and prosecutors say the city’s Vehicular Hijacking Task Force was created to disrupt.
For now, investigators say the priority is finding any video, tips or small details that could identify the masked suspects or the stolen car they used to move between scenes. In the meantime, residents are being reminded to stay alert during early‑morning hours and to report suspicious activity to 911, even if it seems minor in the moment.
