Mass Drive-By Shooting in Princeton Park Wounds 12, Including Teen and Man in Critical Condition

Mass Drive-By Shooting in Princeton Park Wounds 12, Including Teen and Man in Critical Condition

Mass Drive-By Shooting in Princeton Park Wounds 12, Including Teen and Man in Critical Condition

Two gunmen unleashed a barrage of gunfire from a moving vehicle into a crowd in Chicago's Princeton Park neighborhood late Friday night, wounding at least 12 people in one of the city's most alarming mass shooting incidents in recent weeks.

What Happened

Chicago police responded to the scene near West 95th Street and South Princeton Avenue just after 11 p.m. Friday following reports of a person shot. A preliminary investigation revealed that a red SUV pulled alongside a large crowd and two suspects inside the vehicle opened fire before speeding away. No arrests had been announced as of Saturday morning.

When officers arrived, they found two victims at the scene. A 32-year-old woman had been shot twice in the back and was transported to a local hospital in good condition. A 44-year-old man sustained four graze wounds to the back and was also taken to a hospital in good condition.

Ten additional victims made their own way to area hospitals, underscoring the chaos of the attack.

The Victims

The wounded ranged in age from 17 to 47 years old, with injuries spanning from graze wounds to gunshots to the head and body:

  • A 17-year-old boy was shot in the thigh and listed in good condition.
  • A 22-year-old woman suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh and was listed in good condition.
  • A 26-year-old man sustained gunshot wounds to the body and was hospitalized in critical condition — the most seriously injured of all the victims.
  • A 30-year-old man was shot in the body and listed in good condition.
  • A 32-year-old man was shot in the back and listed in good condition.
  • A 32-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was listed in good condition.
  • A 36-year-old woman sustained gunshot wounds to the body and was listed in good condition.
  • A 38-year-old woman suffered graze wounds and was listed in good condition.
  • A 47-year-old man was shot in the knee and listed in good condition.
  • A male of unknown age sustained gunshot wounds to the body and was listed in good condition.

Victims were transported to several South Side hospitals, including Christ Hospital, the University of Chicago Medical Center, Trinity Hospital, and Little Company of Mary Hospital.

Investigation and Context

Area Two detectives are leading the investigation. No further details about the suspects or a motive had been released by Saturday morning. The shooting occurred as Chicago was already grappling with a violent weekend, with more than 20 people shot across the city between Friday evening and Saturday morning.

The Princeton Park attack stands out for both the number of people struck and the brazen nature of the assault — gunmen deliberately targeting a large, outdoor crowd from a vehicle, a tactic that maximizes casualties and minimizes the risk of apprehension.

What Comes Next

With a 26-year-old man still in critical condition, the shooting's toll could yet worsen. Investigators are appealing for anyone with information about the red SUV or its occupants to come forward. The incident adds fresh urgency to ongoing conversations about gun violence prevention on Chicago's South Side, where residents and community leaders continue to demand more sustained and coordinated intervention efforts.