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Throughout Sunday night and the early hours of Monday morning, a riot that escalated into looting of the upscale Magnificent Mile of Chicago saw rioters openly battling police. The riot broke out after police shot a person in the nearby neighborhood of Englewood.
As the night wore on, police officers fought to try to maintain order in the downtown region of Chicago. However, Monday morning, broken glass and empty cash registers met store owners up and down the Magnificent Mile. Many of the upscale stores that looters targeted had only recently reopened after closing in the wake of protests over George Floyd’s death.
Chicago Police tried to contain the chaos Monday night. At least thirteen officers sustained injuries during the incident. Many slumped against buildings, the ordeal visibly exhausting them by Monday morning. Officials arrested over 100 people during the riot. All throughout Chicago’s downtown, clothes hangers and empty TV boxes pointed to the widespread looting.
Police are reporting that wave after wave of rioters drove into the downtown region, which led to officials raising bridges and closing highway ramps. Chicago police went on to describe the event as an “orchestrated effort,” noting the waves of rioters being delivered to the city.
Some reporting is suggesting that the event may have started due to a misunderstanding. Sunday afternoon, around 2 pm, Chicago police responded to a call regarding a person with a gun. When they arrived in the area, police found a man with a gun and gave chase. He fired at police, who fired back, injuring him. That man went to the hospital for his wounds.
However, later that day, reporters say someone mistakenly told local residents that police had shot and killed a child. This led to a standoff between a group of rioters and police, and they exchanged shots. This incident then escalated into the looting that took place Monday.
As people moved in and out of Chicago’s cloud security network Monday morning, the city’s mayor condemned the looting activity. “This was straight up, felony criminal conduct. This was an assault on our city,” said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Lightfoot is supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement and peaceful protests, but has been quick to condemn outright rioting and looting.
