Officers were already dispersing a gathering when shots struck 10 people, but authorities had not identified the gunmen or a motive.
CHICAGO — Chicago detectives were working Sunday to determine who opened fire on a large gathering in Washington Park, killing one man and wounding nine other people while officers were already at the scene trying to disperse the crowd.
The circumstances surrounding the late Saturday shooting remained under investigation hours afterward. Police said the gunfire began about 11:37 p.m. near the 5400 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue, but authorities had not said how many shooters were involved, what prompted the attack or whether specific people in the crowd were targeted.
The police presence before the shooting is a key part of the timeline. Officers had gone to the gathering and were attempting to disperse the crowd when unknown people began firing, according to the department’s initial account. No officers were wounded.
A 35-year-old man was shot multiple times and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died. Police had not publicly released his name in the initial information available Sunday morning.
Nine other adults were wounded. Six were reported in good condition: a 34-year-old man, a 39-year-old man, a 42-year-old man, and women ages 26, 40 and 45. They were treated at the University of Chicago Medical Center, Stroger Hospital or St. Bernard Hospital.
The conditions of three other victims — a 37-year-old woman and men ages 23 and 35 — were not immediately available. Police also had not publicly identified any of the surviving victims.
Accounts of police radio traffic reported by CBS Chicago indicated officers urgently called for medical help as they responded to multiple people who had been shot. The station also reported radio traffic referring to a detained person and a recovered weapon. Chicago police, however, had not announced an arrest in the shooting or publicly said that a recovered firearm had been connected to the gunfire. The department’s public information therefore left the identity and number of shooters unresolved.
Police also had not established publicly why the large group had gathered in the park. With the shooting occurring during an active effort to disperse the crowd, investigators face questions about the sequence of events immediately before the gunfire, whether more than one weapon was fired and how those responsible left the area.
Calumet Area detectives were continuing the investigation Sunday. No suspect descriptions had been released, and authorities had announced no charges connected to the mass shooting.
Author note: Last updated August 30, 2026.