Trump: “Hours After Chicago’s Christmas Tree Lighting, Total Chaos – 14-Year-Old Boy Killed, 8 Othersily Shot, Police Officers Attacked in Massive Riot”

What began as a joyous holiday tradition turned into a night of terror in downtown Chicago Friday when hundreds of juveniles launched a violent “teen takeover” just hours after the city’s 112th annual Christmas tree lighting in Millennium Park.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling confirmed that around 10 p.m., approximately 300 teenagers swarmed the Loop near State and Randolph streets, throwing fireworks at officers, spraying mace, deploying stun guns, and vandalizing property. The mayhem quickly escalated into gunfire: two separate shooting incidents left one 14-year-old boy dead and eight others wounded, most of them teenagers.

The 14-year-old victim was struck in the chest and pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The eight surviving victims, ranging in age from 14 to 19, suffered gunshot wounds to the legs, arms, and torso. All are expected to survive.

At least one Chicago police officer was hospitalized after being assaulted with mace and a stun gun. 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins, whose ward includes the Loop, posted on X shortly after midnight: “300 juveniles rioting… Multiple police officers attacked and injured with mace and stun guns, at least one PO hospitalized.”

President Donald Trump seized on the violence Saturday afternoon, posting a blistering statement on Truth Social:

“Massive crime and rioting in the Chicago Loop area. Multiple Police Officers attacked and badly injured. 300 people rioting, 6 victims shot, one critical and one DEAD. In the meantime, Governor Pritzker and the Low IQ Mayor of Chicago are refusing Federal Government help for a situation that could be quickly remedied. SAD!”

The president’s remarks come amid his controversial “Operation Midway Blitz,” a 2025 federal initiative that has deployed additional ICE agents, DHS personnel, and National Guard troops to Chicago despite fierce resistance from Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker. Trump claims the program has already slashed shootings by 35 percent and carjackings by nearly 50 percent in the city this year.

Mayor Johnson condemned the violence as “unacceptable” in a Saturday morning statement but rejected calls for federal intervention, saying, “We will not solve gun violence by militarizing our streets or criminalizing our children. We need investment in youth programs, mental health resources, and commonsense gun laws—not political stunts.”

Governor Pritzker echoed the mayor, calling Trump’s offer “a cynical attempt to score political points” and vowing Illinois would continue to limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement in the city.

The incident marks at least the fourth major “teen takeover” in Chicago’s downtown this year, reviving memories of the 2023 riots that saw cars torched and stores looted. Critics, including Alderman Hopkins, have blasted the city’s refusal to enforce stricter curfews or request mutual aid from suburban departments during large gatherings of unaccompanied minors.

As of Sunday morning, no arrests have been announced in either shooting. CPD has released limited video and is asking witnesses to come forward.

The violence unfolded mere blocks from the glowing 55-foot Colorado blue spruce that had drawn thousands of families to Millennium Park just hours earlier for carols, fireworks, and the official start of Chicago’s holiday season. Instead, terrified tourists and residents fled as gunfire erupted beneath the city’s iconic holiday lights.

Chicago police say they are increasing patrols in the Loop through the Thanksgiving weekend. The Christmas in the Park events will continue, but with heightened security and bag checks.

The tragedy has reignited the national debate over youth violence, sanctuary-city policies, and federal intervention in America’s third-largest city—one that shows no signs of cooling as the 2025 holiday season begins under a cloud of gunfire and political fury.