Two boys were killed and 2 different teens were wounded successful a shooting extracurricular Benito Juarez High School connected the West Side Friday afternoon.
The shooting happened astir 2:30 p.m. successful the 2100 artifact of South Laflin Street, conscionable arsenic classes were dismissed for the day, officials said.
One lad was dormant connected accomplishment astatine Stroger Hospital and different lad died aft being brought determination successful “traumatic arrest,” officials said. Two different teens — a lad and a miss — were successful little superior information astatine the hospital, officials said.
The boys were believed to beryllium 16 years aged and the miss 15.
Police were told a fishy successful a achromatic mask, achromatic hoodie and achromatic North Face overgarment was seen moving westbound connected Cermak Road and northbound of Ashland Avenue.
Juarez students had been dismissed for the time astatine 2:30 p.m., walking retired conscionable arsenic the shooting took place. A clerk who answered the school’s main bureau telephone said Juarez went connected lockdown aft the shooting, but constabulary gave an all-clear astir 3:30 p.m.
A sophomore who lone gave his past name, Nava, said helium had been waiting successful beforehand of the schoolhouse for his dada to prime him up erstwhile helium heard shots down the artifact toward Ashland.
“It was crazy,” Nava said extracurricular the transgression country Friday evening. “I heard 2 shots and past everyone started moving and went inside.”
The 15-year-old went backmost wrong and called his dad, who wasn’t acold away.
His 46-year-old begetter said helium rushed done postulation to scope his son. “I was truthful nervous, I ran done the lights. I didn’t care,” helium said.
A senior, who lone gave his sanction arsenic Marcel, was joining the crush of students connected their mode retired the doorway erstwhile the shooting started.
“It was packed outside,” helium said. “I lone heard 3 shots but already determination were 2 radical connected the ground.” He went backmost wrong with the remainder of the students.
Guillermo Niño is an anti unit idiosyncratic with the radical Enlace. He said helium has been showing up astatine scenes of weapon unit for 15 years to supply resources for victims, but this clip the telephone came from 1 of his daughters who be Juarez.
One is simply a sophomore, the different is simply a elder and she’s the 1 who called him aft the shooting started. “Daddy, there’s a shooting going connected here,” she told him, calling from a teacher’s car wherever she was hiding.
He hung up to cheque connected his different girl and soon arrived with a fewer of his colleagues.
“Are my kids going to beryllium frightened to travel to school? This is expected to beryllium a harmless haven,” helium said. “For them to person to beryllium moving to past a shooting, it’s not cool.”
As students were allowed to leave, respective of the school’s societal studies teachers waited outside, checking successful with them.
“I don’t know how they’re doing,” said 1 of the teachers, who’s been teaching astatine the schoolhouse for 8 years. “It sucks. You perceive astir shootings astir the metropolis but past it comes to where you are.”
The schoolhouse held a assemblage lawsuit earlier Friday with nutrient and performances from the school’s creation and drum teams, with escaped hams handed retired up of the Christmas holiday.
Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez is simply a Juarez alum. He was the archetypal successful his household to postgraduate precocious school. Martinez and Mayor Lori Lightfoot hosted his introductory quality league astatine the schoolhouse erstwhile helium was hired successful September 2021.
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