Four people were killed and 14 others wounded at rapper Mello Buckzz show in a devastating drive-by shooting outside Artis Lounge in Chicago’s River North on Wednesday night.
Chicago police reported that gunfire erupted around 11 p.m. when a dark SUV drove past the club on West Chicago Avenue. Three people inside opened fire on a crowd leaving an album release party for rapper Mello Buckzz.
The victims include two men, ages 24 and 25, and two women. Authorities have not released the women’s ages. The injured, ranging from 21 to 32, were taken to hospitals across the city.
Two went to Illinois Masonic, two to Mt. Sinai, three to Stroger, and six to Northwestern Memorial. Four remain in serious or critical condition.
Police said the 24-year-old man died at Stroger after being shot in the chest. The 25-year-old, also at Stroger, died from a gunshot wound to the head. A 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman died at Northwestern Memorial after both were shot in the chest.
Mello Buckzz responded on social media, writing, “Prayers up for all my sisters. God, please wrap your arms around every last one of them.” She added, “Feel like everything just weighing down on me… all I can do is talk to God and pray.”
Pastor Donovan Price, who was at the scene, described the chaos and heartbreak. Survivors searched for loved ones, dropped phones, and lost keys. “It’s the worst I’ve seen,” he told CBS News Chicago. “We have a lot of shootings, but nothing like this.”
No arrests have been made. Police continue to search for the suspects as the investigation unfolds. This same block saw a mass shooting in 2022 at the former Hush Lounge, which left one person dead and three injured.
That club was shut down, and Artis Lounge opened in its place. Now, tragedy has returned to the location.
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