{"id":17792,"date":"2025-03-31T21:18:03","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T02:18:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/?p=17792"},"modified":"2025-03-31T21:18:03","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T02:18:03","slug":"shooting-victims-guardian-calls-for-earlier-curfew-to-stop-teen-takeovers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/2025\/03\/31\/shooting-victims-guardian-calls-for-earlier-curfew-to-stop-teen-takeovers\/","title":{"rendered":"Shooting Victim’s Guardian Calls for Earlier Curfew to Stop Teen Takeovers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shooting victim’s guardian backs earlier curfew amid push for mayor to prevent ‘teen takeovers’<\/h1>\n

Introduction to the Issue<\/h2>\n

The guardian of a 15-year-old boy shot in Streeterville on Friday told the Chicago Sun-Times the teen is recovering and \u201cis fine\u201d but wishes the city would do more to control groups of children or teens who have been converging on downtown. The woman, who lives with the teen in Englewood, said she agrees with those who have been calling for an earlier curfew for minors downtown. That includes a Streeterville neighborhood group that said Monday Mayor Brandon Johnson needs to get serious about preventing \u201cteen takeovers\u201d that see large groups of unaccompanied minors gathering downtown and in some cases engaging in violence.<\/p>\n

The Incident and Its Aftermath<\/h2>\n

The woman, who asked not to be named, said she has looked after the teen since his mother was killed in gun violence four years ago. The boy had gone downtown to see a movie Friday, and she said she was unaware of any \u201ctakeover\u201d plans. \u201cI don\u2019t think he should be downtown, period,\u201d she told the Sun-Times. \u201cI don\u2019t think a group of kids should be running around downtown.\u201d Police were already on the scene of the large gathering when gunfire rang out about 9:40 p.m. near North Water Street and Cityfront Plaza Drive, according to a police report. Officers said the gunfire was followed by dozens of teens running from the area. Video posted on social media shows upward of 100 people running from the scene.<\/p>\n

Community Response and Demands<\/h2>\n

Streeterville Neighbors Send Letter to Mayor Johnson<\/h3>\n

Also Monday, the Streeterville Organization of Active Residents sent a strongly worded letter to Johnson after the shooting Friday, which comes two weeks after a tourist was shot near the AMC River East 21 movie theater. \u201cWhile we respect the right to gather, no one has the right to take over our streets and sidewalks in a manner that terrorizes residents, businesses, and visitors,\u201d the letter stated. The group wants Johnson to give police officers \u201cthe necessary authority to intervene before violence occurs and with necessary resources for crowd control, such as dogs and mounted police.\u201d The group also wants the mayor to engage school and union leaders \u201cto address the root causes of this issue\u201d and to implement \u201cpreventive measures\u201d to deter future takeovers.<\/p>\n

Political Standpoints and Proposals<\/h2>\n

Johnson, though, continues to oppose a proposal from 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins that would institute an 8 p.m. curfew for unaccompanied minors that would apply only to downtown \u2014 two hours earlier than other areas in the city. \u201cWhat I\u2019m calling for is to do what works,\u201d the mayor told NBC5 over the weekend. \u201cShifting the problem into other communities \u2014 that\u2019s not how we transform our city.\u201d Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th) \u2014 a former Chicago police sergeant now chairing the City Council\u2019s Police Committee \u2014 also doesn\u2019t support a separate curfew for downtown. \u201cThe last thing I want to see is a curfew that\u2019s designated to segregate folks from coming to any area of the city. \u2026 It just reminds me of a time when we used laws and rules to segregate our folks, our people across the United States,\u201d Taliaferro said.<\/p>\n

Hopkins Plans to Force Curfew Vote<\/h3>\n

Despite the opposition, Hopkins said he plans to use a parliamentary maneuver at the April 16 City Council meeting to force a vote on the 8 p.m. downtown curfew. He needs two-thirds of members \u2014 34 votes \u2014 to bring the proposal to the City Council floor for a final vote. \u201cI would hope they would support me in doing this for my neighborhood that\u2019s uniquely affected by teen takeovers,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s not to say that an 8 o\u2019clock curfew couldn\u2019t be applied elsewhere. But the problem is happening downtown. Show me any other neighborhood that had 300 teens take over the streets for four hours last weekend. … The solution needs to be applied where the problem exists.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

The issue of "teen takeovers" in downtown Chicago has sparked a heated debate about curfews, policing, and community engagement. While some advocate for stricter curfews as a means to prevent violence and ensure public safety, others argue that such measures could lead to segregation and do not address the root causes of the problem. The city must navigate these complex issues to find a balance that promotes safety without infringing on the rights of its citizens, particularly its youth.<\/p>\n

FAQs<\/h2>\n