Holiday cheer erupted into rampaging fear Friday night in Chicago as a tree lighting ceremony preempted “300 juveniles rioting” with multiple gunshot victims and attacks on police.
More than two and a half years since then-Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson (D) had downplayed violent youth as making “silly decisions” and amid his continued refusal of help addressing crime in the Windy City, an evening meant to kick off the Christmas season instead once again demonstrated why those living under soft-on-crime policies feel they can’t have nice things.
While crowds had gathered at Millennium Park for a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, Alderman Brian Hopkins (D) detailed on X that youths in the area had taken to rioting, including gunshots that had initially left five victims wounded before an update had increased those figures to eight. Among the victims of the violence, at least one member of the Chicago Police Department had been hospitalized.
Hopkins wrote, “300 juveniles rioting in the Loop now, at least 5 victims shot, one critical with life threatening gunshot wound to torso. Multiple police officers attacked and injured with mace and stun guns, at least one [police officers] hospitalized.”
300 juveniles rioting in the Loop now, at least 5 victims shot, one critical with life threatening gunshot wound to torso. Multiple police officers attacked and injured with mace and stun guns, at least one PO hospitalized.
— Alderman Hopkins (@AldermanHopkins) November 22, 2025
JUST IN: At least 5 people shot after 300 teens started “rioting” following Chicago’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
“300 juveniles rioting in the Loop now, at least 5 victims shot, one critical with life threatening gunshot wound to torso,” said @AldermanHopkins.
“Multiple… pic.twitter.com/HT6HqAI6qH
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 22, 2025
Fox 32 detailed that among the teens injured from ages 13 to 17 years old, injuries had included grazes to the stomach and legs, as well as gunshot wounds to the legs and hips of the victims.
Within the hour, another shooting took place that left an 18-year-old man injured and another man fatally wounded before he was pronounced dead at Northwestern Hospital.
One X user remarked, “Grab your popcorn and get ready to tune in for another episode of: ‘It’s Not Their Fault,'”calling out Johnson, who’d repeatedly defended rioters in the Windy City before being sworn in. Hizzoner was cited as stating, “They’re young. Sometimes they make silly decisions. They do,” in the caption for the news report about the violent incident.
“They’re young. Sometimes they make silly decisions. They do.” — @ChicagosMayor
Grab your popcorn and get ready to tune in for another episode of: ‘It’s Not Their Fault.’
H/T: @LorrieAnn25 pic.twitter.com/NP7LQQj8gC
— Jen (@IlliniJen) November 22, 2025
More recently, as the mayor had pitted himself against President Donald Trump alongside Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other prominent Democrats politicizing efforts at law enforcement, Johnson had attempted to make the case that an effort to clean up crime was akin to attempting to “re-litigate the Civil War.”
The mayor went on to claim that, where it concerned “the extreme right,” “They have not accepted the results that the North actually won,” while lamenting efforts made in the areas of education, employment, healthcare, housing and transportation.
“Those are literally the five demands of descendants of slaves post Civil War,” added Johnson.
Meanwhile, reactions to the latest example of violence in Chicago couldn’t help but snark about yet another “isolated incident” in a city that has such strict gun control laws and that the mayor has repeatedly insisted is safe: “Mostly peaceful 5 person shooting and 300 teens riot.”
Mostly peaceful 5 person shooting and 300 teens riot.
— Miko Thompson (@miket8282) November 22, 2025
Crime is down.
Chicago is safe.
It was an isolated incident.— Bill Klosa (@Bklosa) November 22, 2025
Is this another isolated incident? Because there seems to be lots of those.
— Betty Crocker (@BettysNoCrock) November 22, 2025
But, but… mayor Johnson said the city is safe
— JinjoUSA (@jinjoUSA) November 22, 2025
Same city that doesn’t need any Guard help, right?
— hexalux (@hexalux) November 22, 2025
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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