2025 Chicago shooting
| 2025 Chicago drive-by shooting | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The scene of the shooting pictured in 2013 | |
| Location | 311 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Date | July 2, 2025 c. 11:00 p.m. – c. 11:05 p.m. (CDT; UTC−04:00) |
| Target | Mello Buckzz[1] |
Attack type | Mass shooting, drive-by shooting |
| Weapon | Handgun (suspected), rifle (suspected) |
| Deaths | 4[2] |
| Injured | 14[3] |
On July 2, 2025, a mass drive-by shooting occurred in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the city's River North neighborhood on the Near North Side.[4][5] Four people were killed, and fourteen others were injured outside a nightclub.[6] The shooting occurred during an album release party for drill rapper Mello Buckzz (born Melanie Doyle),[7] who is the suspected target of the shooting.[8]
Shooting
[edit]The shooting occurred at about 11:00 p.m. CDT (UTC−04:00), outside of a nightclub called Artis Restaurant and Lounge on the Near North Side neighborhood of Chicago.[9][10] At the time of the shooting, the venue was hosting an album release party for local rapper Mello Buckzz.[9][1] The shooting started when a black vehicle pulled up outside the venue with at least one person shooting at a crowd of people who were leaving the venue.[1] The length of the shooting was reported to have been brief.[11][12][13] Four people were killed and fourteen others were injured.[1][3] The New York Times reported that there might have been multiple shooters involved.[11]
After the shooting ended, Chicago Police recovered handgun and rifle rounds and several shell casings inside and outside Artis.[9] During investigations it was suspected that Mello Buckzz was the target of the shooting, however, she had already left Artis when the shooting began.[9] Several people at the shooting recorded videos moments before and after the incident and posted them on social media.[8]
A previous mass shooting occurred at the same address in 2022.[9] By the next morning, the crime scene had been cleared.[1]
Victims
[edit]Victims were hospitalized at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Mount Sinai Medical Center and Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.[9] Three of the four fatalities were shot in the chest and were pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.[14] The other fatality, a 25-year-old man, was shot in the head and pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital.[9][14] One of the victims, 26-year-old Taylor Walker, was identified by WGN-TV a few hours after the shooting.[15] Two of the victims were friends of Mello Buckzz.[8] The following day, the identities of two other victims were confirmed: 25-year-old Leon Andrew Henry and 23-year-old Devonte Terrell Williamson.[16] Another fatality was identified as 27-year-old Aviance King.[17]
Fourteen people were injured, with four being critically wounded.[18] The victims, both dead and wounded, were reported to be five men and thirteen women,[15] aged 21 to 32.[9][19] Mello Buckzz's boyfriend was reported to be one of the people shot, and was later confirmed to be Devonte Williamson, one of the slain.[14][20]
Aftermath
[edit]The following day, The Washington Post and The New York Times reported that no arrests had been made in the aftermath of the shooting.[11][5]
In response to the shooting, Buckzz posted a statement on Instagram saying "Prayers up for all my sisters god please wrap yo arms around every last one of them" while confirmed that two of the fatalities were friends of hers.[8]
On July 3, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling held a joint press conference.[21] Johnson condemned the shooting and called on the city's residents to come forward with information while confirming that the suspects are still at large.[21] Snelling also disclosed that two different caliber casings were found at the scene.[16]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "4 dead, 14 wounded in River North mass shooting outside club". The Chicago Tribune. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ "BREAKING: 4 dead, 14 wounded in River North mass drive-by shooting late Wednesday night, Chicago police confirm". WGN TV. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ a b "River North mass shooting: 4 killed, 14 injured outside Chicago club". Axios. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ "4 killed, 14 wounded in Chicago mass shooting outside River North nightclub". CBS. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ a b "4 dead, 14 injured after drive-by shooting in Chicago, police say". The Washington Post. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ "4 killed, 14 injured in drive-by shooting in Chicago". USA Today. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ "Who is Mello Buckzz, the Chicago rapper at the center of mass shooting in River North?". Chicago Sun-Times. 2025-07-03. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
- ^ a b c d "Four dead and 14 hurt after gunmen open fire on crowd outside a Chicago club in mass shooting: Suspects remain free". The Independent. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "18 shot, 4 fatally, in mass shooting at River North bar". Chicago Sun Times. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ "Four dead, 14 injured in drive-by shooting outside Chicago nightclub". BBC News. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c "4 Dead and 14 Injured in Chicago Drive-By Shooting". The New York Times. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ "Chicago drive-by shooting leaves at least 4 dead, 14 wounded". Fox News. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ "Four Killed in Chicago Shooting". CNN. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Four dead and 14 injured in shooting at Chicago party for rapper Mello Buckzz". The Guardian. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ a b "BREAKING: 4 dead, 14 injured in River North mass drive-by shooting late Wednesday night, Chicago police confirm". Yahoo. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ a b "Drive-by shooting kills 4 and wounds 14 others after a party at a Chicago restaurant". Associated Press. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ "Boyfriend, friend of rapper Mello Buckzz among 4 killed in River North shooting". Chicago Sun-Times. 2025-07-03. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
- ^ "4 killed, 14 hurt in Chicago mass shooting: 'Absolute chaos'". ABC News. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ Smith, Mitch; Bosman, Julie; Yoon, John (2025-07-03). "4 Dead, 14 Injured in Chicago Shooting Outside River North Lounge". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
- ^ "River North mass shooting victims include stylist, health care worker, young father | What we know". ABC7 Chicago. 2025-07-03. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
- ^ a b "Chicago mayor speaks after mass shooting shakes community". WCNC. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.