Two people were shot in the heart of Chicago's Loop early Wednesday morning, sending police swarming to State and Lake streets near the Chicago Theatre and shutting down part of the block for hours. The shooting happened around 2:30 a.m., and officers were still working the scene well into the morning as evidence markers dotted the sidewalk.
Chicago police responded to a report of shots fired near State and Lake streets around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to CBS News Chicago. Officers placed multiple evidence markers at the scene, and Lake Street near Wabash Avenue was blocked off with police tape as the investigation unfolded. Police have not released information on what led up to the shooting.
Separately, ABC7 Chicago reported that the shooting happened at about 2:39 a.m. at State and Lake streets, outside the ABC7 State Street Studios, and confirmed that two people were shot. The station reported the area was taped off and was expected to remain closed for a couple of hours as officers processed the scene.
Witness Describes Hearing Gunfire
ABC7 security guard Lamar Hankins said he heard gunfire near the scene, according to the station's report. NBC Chicago described a heavy police presence near the Chicago Theatre, with videos and photos from State and Lake streets showing multiple officers and police vehicles gathered in the area, per NBC Chicago.
The station's report also noted yellow evidence markers lining parts of the sidewalk as officers investigated, along with police tape blocking off parts of the street and sidewalk near the scene. NBC Chicago said it had reached out to the Chicago Police Department for more details, while CBS News Chicago said it had done the same in its own report on the shooting investigation.
No Suspect Information Released
As of Wednesday morning, no suspect description, arrest or motive had been made public for the shooting, and police had not said whether anyone was in custody. Both NBC Chicago and CBS News Chicago characterized the incident as a developing story that would be updated as more information became available, with CBS News Chicago saying it planned to continue providing updates.
A Stretch of Loop Already On Edge
Wednesday's shooting adds to a tense stretch for the area around State and Lake streets. Just over a week earlier, on October 20, Chicago police said a suspect was arrested after a gun discharged near the Kluczynski Federal Building in the Loop, with the arrest made in the 200 block of South Clark Street after the building sustained damage, according to the Chicago Tribune. No one was struck in that incident, the Tribune reported.
The Loop has also seen gunfire during high-traffic evenings in recent years. On November 23, 2024, a woman was wounded in a shooting outside the Macy's department store on State Street during the second night of Christkindlmarket, according to CBS News Chicago. Police said at the time that a 19-year-old woman was walking near State and Washington streets shortly before 9 p.m. when an unknown male fired shots at her. These earlier incidents remain separate cases and are not connected to Wednesday's shooting.
