At least four people have been killed and another 14 were injured after suspects opened fire on a crowd as they were leaving a rapper’s album release party at a Chicago nightclub, authorities say.
Victims were exiting Artis Restaurant and Lounge nightclub in Chicago’s River North neighborhood around 11 p.m. Wednesday, where a party was being held for Chicago rapper Mello Buckzz, when someone fired into the crowd from a car in the street.
“I heard a lot of gunfire, and then the next thing you know, there was a whole bunch of police officers driving by fast, (and) ambulances, fire and rescue,” a witness named Deshaun told WGN News.
“Traumatizing, I’m just shook,” another female witness added.
Two men, ages 24 and 25, and two women were pronounced dead, police said. The identities of the women were not immediately shared by police, but the family of one of the female victims identified her as 26-year-old Taylor Walker.
According to police, at least 16 of the 18 victims were between the ages of 21 and 32. Five men and 13 women were shot. Among those shot, three were listed in critical condition. Nine were in good condition, one was listed in fair condition and one was listed as stable.
The club had been closing for the night when the shooting happened, so a large group of party attendees were standing outside, a worker at the nightclub told WGN News. According to a preliminary police investigation, a dark-colored car drove up to the nightclub just after 11 p.m. Either one unknown person or multiple people took out one or more guns and opened fire into the crowd.
The vehicle immediately fled the scene, and no arrests have been made. Police have not released any suspect information.
Multiple videos from inside the event viewed by The Independent appear to show a densely packed crowd singing and filming the scene on their phones before the gunfire broke out.
Other videos show the shocking aftermath of the shooting outside the club, with revelers receiving medical treatment along a bloodied sidewalk.
In a post to her Instagram story, Buckzz, whose real name is Melanie Doyle, wrote: “Prayers up for all my sisters god please wrap yo arms around every last one of them.
“We need u i need u ngl im f***ed up ..feel like everything just weighing down on me... All i can do is talk to god and pray.”
In another post the 24-year-old rapper said, “I can’t believe i lost both yall in 1 night,” along with a photograph of her with two friends. Another read that her “heart is broke into so many pieces.”
Artis Lounge is at the same location as the former Hush nightclub that the city shut down more than two years deeming it a “public safety threat” following a fatal shooting outside.
