Police say four attackers opened fire as four men entered a car near LaSalle and Hubbard before dawn Sunday.
CHICAGO, IL — A 34-year-old man was killed and three other men were critically wounded early Sunday when multiple attackers opened fire as the group got into a car in the River North neighborhood, Chicago police said. The shooting happened about 2:35 a.m. in the 400 block of North LaSalle Drive, steps from Hubbard Street’s nightlife corridor.
Police said the victims were preparing to leave the area when four male suspects approached on foot and opened fire, then fled in a waiting vehicle. Officers responding to 911 calls found the 34-year-old shot multiple times. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Three others, 36, 43 and 35, were also transported to Northwestern with gunshot wounds to the chest, back and body. Detectives from the department’s Area Three bureau are leading the investigation, and no one was in custody as of Sunday morning.
Witnesses told officers the barrage started without warning, rattling a stretch of bars and late-night restaurants as security staff were helping patrons clear out. Several nearby businesses lowered security gates while police established a wide crime scene around a green SUV parked near the corner. Investigators marked dozens of evidence cones on the pavement and collected spent shell casings from both the street and sidewalk. “This was a brazen and violent act that took one life and left three others fighting for theirs,” said Paul Rutherford, executive director of Cook County Crime Stoppers. He urged anyone who saw the attackers to contact authorities.
Police said the dead man’s name was being withheld pending notification of relatives. The three wounded men remained in critical condition at Northwestern, according to preliminary hospital information shared with detectives. Based on early interviews, the victims had been together when the shooters approached. Investigators were reviewing surveillance video from businesses along North LaSalle Drive and West Hubbard Street and were canvassing for additional witnesses. Officers recovered more than 50 shell casings at the scene, according to a preliminary incident report, indicating multiple firearms may have been used. Detectives have not released a motive.
River North, one of the city’s most visited nightlife districts, has seen intermittent spikes in late-night violence tied to closing-time crowds. In July, four people were killed and 14 wounded outside a release party near the neighborhood, prompting additional patrols and business meetings with police commanders. In Sunday’s case, the shooting unfolded as traffic was thinning and ride-hailing drivers circled the block. The intersection of LaSalle and Hubbard sits on the edge of the Near North police district, where officers frequently direct weekend foot traffic and vehicles at closing time. Residents said the sound of shots echoed off tall buildings and drew people out onto balconies before officers pushed them back inside.
Detectives were working to determine whether the attack was targeted. The suspects—described initially as four males who approached on foot—left in a vehicle that sped south on LaSalle, police said. Investigators are analyzing license plate reader hits and privately owned security camera footage from garages, alleys and loading docks. Area Three detectives planned to compare shell casings with entries in the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network to see if the weapons match other recent cases. The Cook County medical examiner’s office will conduct an autopsy and release the victim’s identity after relatives are notified.
Chicago police crime scene technicians photographed bullet strikes on a light pole and two storefront windows, while officers from the 18th District redirected traffic around the block. Bartenders and security workers said they had just finished ushering customers outside when the first shots sounded like a “string of firecrackers,” followed by shouts and squealing tires. A nearby hotel locked its front doors for about 20 minutes while guests waited in the lobby. “I heard at least 30 shots, maybe more,” said Aaron Lewis, who was walking to a rideshare pickup zone. “People dropped to the ground behind cars. The police were here fast.” The department did not immediately release a detailed suspect description.
By midday Sunday, detectives were still collecting statements and checking emergency room logs for potential additional victims. The department said anyone with information can contact detectives or submit an anonymous tip. Crime Stoppers has publicized a reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. Police said more updates would be released after the medical examiner confirms the victim’s identity and after detectives review surveillance footage. Authorities did not announce a motive and did not say whether the shooters and victims had interacted before the attack.
Author note: Last updated December 28, 2025.