An 18-year-old Chicago man is facing a lengthy list of charges after police say he robbed and battered three women in the West Loop over the course of less than two weeks, in addition to allegedly stealing two vehicles from nearby neighborhoods. Lawrence McGown now faces three counts of robbery with a firearm, three counts of aggravated battery in a public place, unlawful possession of a weapon, and two counts of possessing a stolen vehicle.
According to WGN-TV, the first of the three alleged robberies happened on Oct. 27 in the 300 block of North Racine, where a 29-year-old woman was targeted. A second attack followed on Nov. 7 in the 1200 block of West Fulton, this time against a 35-year-old woman. A third alleged robbery, involving a 24-year-old woman in the 200 block of North Elizabeth, was also tied to McGown, though the station's report did not specify when it occurred.
McGown is also accused of taking two vehicles in the weeks surrounding the robberies. The station's report says the first vehicle theft occurred on Oct. 26 in the 3500 block of West Dickens, while the second occurred on Nov. 5 in the 1600 block of West Madison.
A Neighborhood Already on Edge
The charges against McGown land in a West Loop that has seen a string of violent robbery cases in recent memory. In September, a contractor was robbed at gunpoint in the neighborhood, with a judge later detaining the accused on an armed robbery charge, according to CWBChicago. And in May, a gunman shot two women during a separate armed robbery in the area, the outlet reported.
Other recent incidents near the neighborhood include a daytime robbery and beating in the 200 block of North Peoria Street, where ABC7 Chicago reported that two people took a victim's belongings before driving off in an SUV. None of these separate cases have been shown to be connected to the charges against McGown.
Broader Pattern of Armed Robberies
Chicago police have separately warned of armed robberies across the West Loop and nearby neighborhoods, describing a group of two to four masked men targeting victims at gunpoint after arriving in a stolen gray Infiniti Q50 bearing different stolen plates, per a separate WGN-TV report. That same report noted some victims in those incidents were pistol-whipped, and that suspects took nothing in two of the robberies. It is not established whether those incidents are connected to the charges against McGown.
The pattern extends beyond the West Loop as well. In Lincoln Park, police said they were looking for at least two men responsible for armed robberies of three women, prompting an increased patrol presence in that neighborhood, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. A 2024 CWBChicago report, citing Chicago Police Department data, found robberies in the Near West (12th) District were up 2% from the prior year's surge and up 75% compared with 2020.
No additional details about McGown's court proceedings, plea, or case status were included in the available reporting.
