2 teens fatally shot while leaving Chicago school identified: 'Senseless act of violence'
Authorities have identified two teenage boys who were shot and killed by multiple masked suspects as they were leaving a Chicago high school on Friday.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims as 17-year-old Monterio Williams and 16-year-old Robert Boston. The two boys along with several other students were walking out of Innovations High School on Friday afternoon when a group of masked suspects jumped out of two vehicles in front of the school and opened fire, police said.
The suspects had fired multiple times, fatally striking Williams and Boston, according to police. Both teens were struck in the chest by gunfire and Williams was also shot in the right hip, police said.
Williams and Boston were transported to a hospital where they were pronounced deceased, according to police. No arrests have been announced by police as of Sunday evening.
The shooting on Friday set off a bloody weekend for Chicago where, as of Sunday, 14 people were hit with gunfire, two of them fatally.
Chicago Police Deputy Chief Jon Hein called the Friday shooting a “senseless act of violence," but noted that there was no danger in the area.
"At this time we believe it to be an isolated incident," Hein said during a news conference Friday. "Wherever the tragedy like this strikes in the city, it's heartbreaking for the families and everybody affected by it. It's a tragedy no matter where it happens."
Homicide rates dropped in big cities. Why has the nation's capital seen a troubling rise?
About 6 students were at the scene when attack occurred
Hein said a group of approximately six students were exiting the high school when the shooting happened.
"There was no confrontation," Hein added. "Several individuals exited two vehicles, approached the group and fired multiple times."
A woman was also caught in the shooting but didn't seek any medical treatment, according to Hein. The woman was walking by when her jacket was grazed by a bullet.
Students and residents were shocked by the incident as bullet holes remained visible in a Chicago Transit Authority elevator near the scene, NBC Chicago reported.
With 443 students, Innovations High School is located in the Chicago Loop and is the largest of 17 privately-run, publicly-funded schools operated by the organization Youth Connection Charter School. It’s an alternative school and aims to re-enroll and re-engage children who may have dropped out or faced trouble in traditional schools.
The high school announced it will be closed on Monday and will reopen Tuesday.
"It is with profound sadness and deep sorrow that we come together to mourn the devastating loss of two of our students, who were tragically shot and killed while being dismissed for the weekend," Innovations High School Principal Alicia Shines said in a statement. "This incident has devastated our students, faculty, staff and community at large."
2024 gun laws: New gun laws change the rules of firearm ownership in America.
Chicago gun violence
Friday's shooting occurred before a spate of gun violence incidents across Chicago over the weekend. Since Saturday, there have been at least 14 people shot, including two fatally, according to the Chicago Police Department's major incident notifications.
Several incidents included victims who were in public spaces or in their vehicles when they were injured by sudden gunfire. Other incidents occurred during or after an altercation.
On average, one person is killed with a gun every six hours in Illinois, according to the anti-gun violence group One Aim. And over 1,300 people die from gun violence in an average year.
"Illinois has the 12th highest rate of gun homicides in the country, and of all homicides in Illinois, 84% involve a gun," according to One Aim.
Although Black people only make up about over 14% of the state's population, One Aim said Black people comprise nearly 50% of all firearm deaths in the state.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last year, more than half of Black and Hispanic people growing up in Chicago see someone shot by age 40. Across all participants, the study found that the average age to witness a shooting was 14 years old, and the average age for being shot was 17.
Incidents on Saturday:
Officers discovered a man, 28, unresponsive on the ground and with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Officers responded to a hospital and spoke with a 39-year-old man who sustained a gunshot wound to the left calf. The victim was listed in stable condition.
A 33-year-old man was inside of an apartment when he was shot in the buttocks by a 33-year-old woman. The victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
A 41-year-old man was in a parked vehicle on the street when an unknown suspect approached and opened fire, striking the victim in the right arm. The victim was transported to the hospital in good condition.
A 40-year-old woman was at a gathering when a 39-year-old man fired a shot after an altercation. The victim was transported by the hospital in critical condition with a gunshot to the head.
A 19-year-old man was walking on the sidewalk when an occupant of a nearby vehicle opened fire. The victim was transferred to a hospital in critical condition.
A 20-year-old man was driving his vehicle when heard gunshots and felt pain. He was transported to the hospital in good condition.
A 61-year-old man was shot in the right leg inside of a residence after an altercation. The victim was transported by hospital in critical condition.
Incidents on Sunday:
A 53-year-old man was standing on the sidewalk when an individual approached him and fired shots. The victim was taken to the hospital in serious condition with multiple gunshot wounds to the body.
A 24-year-old man was inside an apartment with several people, when shots were fired and the victim sustained a gunshot wound to the leg.
A man was discovered in a vehicle after striking a fence and a tree. He had sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and was later pronounced dead.
A 25-year-old man was driving a vehicle when three men fired shots from the sidewalk. The victim was taken to the hospital in good condition.
A 22-year-old woman was sitting in a parked vehicle with a man when she sustained an accidental gunshot wound to her left thigh.
A 31-year-old man was approaching his vehicle that was stolen when several suspects inside the vehicle opened fire at him. The victim returned fire and the suspects fled but later crashed the vehicle. During the exchange of gunfire, a 23-year-old suspect sustained a gunshot wound to the right shoulder and neck.
Contributing: Grace Hauck, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Authorities identify 2 teens fatally shot while leaving Chicago school
