Two people were killed and multiple others were injured early Friday morning when two men opened fire on a group of people standing near a park in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood, with no one in custody as police search for suspects.
The deadly shooting unfolded about 12:30 a.m. in the 5100 block of South Wood Street, the Chicago Police Department said.
According to CPD, two men walked up to a group of people standing near Cornell Paul Square Park, pulled out guns and started shooting. A total of seven people struck by gunfire.
Two of those struck were transported to nearby hospitals in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds. The victims, both male, were later pronounced dead, police said. Their ages were not known.
Several others were injured in the shooting, police said, including a 54-year-old man; a 32-year-old man; a 30-year-old woman and 21-year-old man. All were transported with multiple gunshots wounds to nearby hospitals in conditions ranging from fair to good.
A fifth victim, a 23-year-old woman, who was shot in the head, remains hospitalized in critical condition, police said.
Photos and video captured from the scene show a large police presence in the area, with multiple yellow evidence markers on the ground.
“You can see the large amount of yellow evidence markers, usually placed where shell casings are found,” NBC 5 reporter Lisa Chavarria said.
CPD did not release any details on what led up to the shooting, or the circumstances surrounding it. No one was in custody and an investigation remains ongoing.
Recent data provided by Chicago police showed there were fewer homicides in Chicago in May 2026 compared to 2025, though the number of shooting victims was up by four percent. CPD data also showed killings were up compared to this time last year.
According to a report from the Chicago Sun-Times, the city recorded the fewest number of homicides last month of any May since 2007.
