2023 Chicago Halloween party shooting

Last updated
2023 Chicago Halloween party shooting
LocationStudio 1258, North Lawndale, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DateOctober 29, 2023;8 months ago (2023-10-29)
c. 1:05 a.m. (CDT)
Attack type
Mass shooting
Weapon.357 caliber Sig Sauer semi-automatic handgun
Injured15
AccusedWilliam Groves
Charges
  • 15 counts of attempted murder
  • 15 counts of aggravated battery
  • Unlawful use of a weapon by a felon
  • Firing in an occupied building.

On October 29, 2023, at around 1:05 a.m., a mass shooting occurred at a business hosting a Halloween party, wounding fifteen people. [1] Police alleged that the shooter was a partygoer that was thrown out of the venue, who later returned with a handgun and fired into a crowd of people. The shooter fled the scene on foot before being arrested by police a short distance away. [2] The party was an unlicensed event attended by over 100 people, and the venue, Studio 1258, has a litany of accusations of dubious activity, with the city receiving hundreds of complaints in the months before the shooting. [3] [4]

Contents

Shooting

According to police, the alleged gunman was ejected from the party following a "disturbance". [5] [2] The manager of the venue stated that the suspect was involved in several incidents, including bumping into people and knocking their drinks over, while being visibly intoxicated, which led to his removal by security. He attempted to return to the party, but was blocked from doing so by a security guard, and became involved in a physical altercation outside the venue before leaving again. Later, at around 1:05 a.m., as the party was ending, the gunman returned once more and opened fire "indiscriminately" into a crowd of people inside the venue with a .357 caliber Sig Sauer semi-automatic handgun. [6] [7] [8] [9] One witness stated that the shooter "put his arm through the door and started shooting". [10]

Witnesses describe hearing the glass inner door leading to the party being shattered as gunfire rang out. Attendees ducked for cover or got down on the ground to evade gunfire. A security guard was heard yelling for people to "get back" shortly before the shooting began. Several witnesses recount seeing people fall to the ground as they tried to run away from the shooter. [7] A video of the scene uploaded to social media appeared to show victims bleeding on the ground. [11] A total of 17 shell casings were recovered from the scene. [9]

Police responded to the scene as the shooting was ongoing, however the shooter fled on foot. After being pursued by a venue security guard and police, a suspect was arrested a short distance away from the scene with a handgun in his possession. [8] [11]

The party where the shooting took place was arranged by two comedians, who advertised the event on social media. The alleged gunman bought tickets to the event and had taken a selfie with a performer prior to his removal from the party. [6] [9] [7] A lawsuit filed in February 2024 alleged that the venue did not have a licence to sell alcohol or host such parties and lacked basic safety measures. [10]

The suspect was identified as 48-year-old convicted felon William Groves, who was charged with 32 felony counts, including 15 counts of attempted murder, 15 counts of aggravated battery, one count of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and one count of firing in an occupied building. [12] Groves pled not guilty to the charges. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cincinnati nightclub shooting</span> 2017 mass shooting in Cincinnati, Ohio

In the early morning hours of March 26, 2017, a shootout occurred at the Cameo nightclub in southeastern Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. One person was killed and 16 others were injured. Two suspects were arrested on March 30, though police continued to search for more people involved. One of the suspects, who was among those injured, later died of his injuries on April 4.

On August 28, 2017, a mass shooting occurred at the Clovis-Carver Library, a public library in downtown Clovis, New Mexico, U.S. The gunman fatally shot two people and injured four others. He was identified as Nathaniel Jouett, a 16-year-old student at nearby Clovis High School.

A mass shooting occurred on September 24, 2017, when a gunman opened fire at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch, Tennessee, part of the Greater Nashville area, killing one person and injuring six others.

On April 22, 2018, a mass shooting occurred at a Waffle House restaurant in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, United States, when 29-year-old Travis Jeffrey Reinking fatally shot four people and injured two others with an AR-15 style rifle. Another two people were injured by broken glass. Reinking was rushed by an unarmed customer, James Shaw Jr., who wrestled the rifle away and stopped the shooting spree. Reinking was captured on April 23, ending a 34-hour manhunt.

The 2018 Toronto shooting, known locally as the Danforth shooting, was a mass shooting that occurred on Danforth Avenue in the Greektown neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the night of July 22, 2018. Faisal Hussain killed two people and wounded thirteen using a Smith & Wesson M&P .40-calibre handgun. He died by suicide after a shootout with Toronto Police Service (TPS) officers. Despite a year long investigation, authorities were unable to determine a motive for the shooting. They noted that Hussain had mental health issues and a long time obsession with violence.

On January 23, 2019, at around 12:30 pm, five women – four employees and a customer – were shot and killed at the SunTrust Bank in Sebring, Florida. Zephen Xaver, aged 21, surrendered and was arrested at the scene by police after a standoff and the deployment of a SWAT team. He initially pleaded not guilty to five murders. On March 14, 2023, he pleaded guilty in the shooting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffalo, Minnesota clinic attack</span> 2021 mass shooting and bombing in Buffalo, Minnesota

On February 9, 2021, a mass shooting and bombing occurred at a medical clinic in Buffalo, Minnesota, United States. Just before 11:00 a.m. CST, Gregory Paul Ulrich, a 67-year-old man, shot five people at Allina Health's Buffalo Crossroads facility. One victim, Lindsay Overbay, died, and three others were critically injured from gunshot wounds. All of the victims were medical clinic staff. During the attack, Ulrich discharged three improvised explosive devices, one of which failed to detonate. He surrendered to police who were dispatched to the clinic, and he was taken into custody. He admitted to authorities that he fired on people inside the clinic and set off bombs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Boulder shooting</span> Mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado

On March 22, 2021, a mass shooting occurred at a King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Ten people were killed, including a local on-duty police officer. The alleged shooter, 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Al-Issa, was arrested after being shot in the right leg. He was temporarily hospitalized before being moved to the county jail. After undergoing mental evaluations during the legal proceedings, Al-Issa was found mentally incompetent to stand trial in December 2021 and in April 2022. On August 23, 2023, prosecutors announced that Al-Issa was mentally competent to stand trial; a judge ruled as such on October 6 of that same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Normandale Park shooting</span> Mass shooting in Portland, Oregon, US

On February 19, 2022, Benjamin Jeffrey Smith approached and assaulted a small group of women, at the edge of Normandale Park in Portland, Oregon, United States. He murdered one, caused the paralysis of another from the shoulders down, and seriously injured three others, including a bystander who had approached to deescalate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnificent Mile shooting</span> Mass shooting in Chicago, Illinois

On May 19, 2022, a mass shooting occurred in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the city's Magnificent Mile shopping district, near Michigan Avenue. Two people were killed, and eight others were injured. The accused perpetrator, Jaylun Sanders, was taken into custody by Chicago police.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highland Park parade shooting</span> Mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois

On July 4, 2022, a mass shooting occurred during an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois, United States. The shooting occurred at 10:14 a.m. CDT (UTC−05:00), roughly 15 minutes after the parade had started. Seven people were killed, and 48 others were wounded by bullets or shrapnel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Raleigh shootings</span> Mass shooting in North Carolina

On October 13, 2022, a mass shooting occurred in the Hedingham neighborhood of Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Five people were killed, and two others were injured. The accused, a male juvenile named Austin Thompson, was detained after being cornered by police at a nearby residence and was in critical condition from a gunshot wound to the head sustained during the incident. Thompson survived his head injury and has begun to receive physical rehabilitation. He was transferred from a hospital to the medical unit of a juvenile correctional facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado Springs nightclub shooting</span> Mass shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado

On November 19–20, 2022, an anti-LGBT-motivated mass shooting occurred at Club Q, a gay bar in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. Five people were murdered, and 25 others were injured, 19 of them by gunfire. The shooter, 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, was also injured while being restrained, and was taken to a local hospital. Aldrich was then charged and remanded in custody. On June 26, 2023, Aldrich pled guilty to the shooting and state level charges and was officially sentenced to a total of five consecutive back-to-back life terms plus an additional consecutive 2,211 years all of it without the possibility of parole. On January 16, 2024, Aldrich was additionally charged with 50 federal hate crimes in connection with the shooting. On June 18, 2024, Aldrich pleaded guilty to the federal charges and was sentenced to 55 concurrent life sentences without parole plus 190 years.

On July 2–3, 2023, a shooting spree occurred in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Five people were killed and two people were injured. The police apprehended the shooter without incident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Trabuco Canyon shooting</span> Mass shooting in Trabuco Canyon, California, U.S.

On August 23, 2023, a mass shooting occurred at the Cook's Corner bar in Trabuco Canyon, California, United States. Three people were killed and six others wounded before the gunman, 59-year-old ex-Ventura police officer John Snowling, was shot and killed by responding police officers.

References

  1. ↑ "Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2023". Federal Bureau of Investigation. June 24, 2024. p. 36.
  2. 1 2 Henderson, Jennifer (2023-10-31). "Man charged with 15 counts of attempted first-degree murder in Chicago Halloween party shooting". CNN. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  3. ↑ Hickey, Megan; Assad, Samah (2023-10-30). "Past trouble for venue that hosted party leading to Chicago mass shooting - CBS Chicago". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  4. ↑ Hickey, Megan; Assad, Samah (2023-11-06). "Were red flags ignored at business where mass shooting happened? - CBS Chicago". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  5. ↑ Kaufman, Elyssa; Perlman, Marissa (2023-10-31). "Man charged with attempted murder in Halloween party mass shooting on Chicago's West Side". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  6. 1 2 "New details released after convicted felon charged with shooting 15 people at Chicago Halloween party". FOX 32 Chicago. 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  7. 1 2 3 "Judge Orders Accused Shooter Of 15 At Halloween Party To Be Detained". Patch. 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  8. 1 2 "Chicago Man Charged After North Lawndale Halloween Party Mass Shooting That Left 15 Wounded". WTTW. October 31, 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 "Prosecutors: Chicago mass shooting suspect 'fired indiscriminately' into crowd at comedy show". NBC Chicago. 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  10. 1 2 3 "Lawsuit filed on behalf of 15 people wounded in mass shooting at North Lawndale Halloween party". Chicago Sun-Times. 2024-02-06. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  11. 1 2 "Suspect in custody after 15 shot at Chicago Halloween party". NBC Chicago. 2023-10-30. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  12. ↑ "Charges filed in shooting at West Side Halloween party that wounded at least 15 people". Chicago Sun-Times. 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.