A teenager was fatally shot Saturday night at Millennium Park in the Loop, Chicago police said. The victim has been identified as Seandell Holliday.
According to local media, two people have been taken into custody for questioning in connection with the 16-year-old’s death.
Holliday was standing by ‘The Bean’ statue in the 200 block of East Randolph Street when he was shot in the chest, Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.
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Paramedics were called to the scene and the teenager was rushed to Lurie Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Two weapons were recovered at the scene, police added. The motive behind the shooting remains unknown.
The shooting is the second this week near the iconic “Cloud Gate” statue at the park.
Just few days ago, a 19-year-old man was injured by a bullet while riding in a car. Someone fired at the man in the first block of North Michigan Avenue, police said.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement that the fatal shooting was “utterly unacceptable” and there would be “additional actions” to prevent any such attacks.
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“Tonight, a mother is grief-stricken, mourning the loss of her child and searching for answers,” Lightfoot said, according to NBC Chicago. “My heart is breaking for the mother as she grieves this unspeakable loss.”
“Young people are welcome everywhere in our city, but community norms require respect for each other, people’s property, and the sanctity of life,” the mayor added. “We must also have zero tolerance for young people carrying firearms or settling petty disputes with acts of violence. We all must condemn this behavior in the strongest terms possible and continue to take action against anyone who violates these basic community norms.”
Lightfoot, who plans to implement additional safety measures in the city, did not give out much details. However, he called on parents and guardians to “step up.”
“I continue to call upon parents and guardians to step up, to ensure that your children understand basic values of respect, and that you take responsibility for knowing at all times where your children are and who they are with,” he said.