Looters flood downtown Chicago

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said law enforcement will use surveillance videos to hunt down and prosecute those who looted stores in Chicago’s Loop. “What occurred downtown and in surrounding communities was abject criminal behavior, pure and simple,” she added. Hundreds of people smashed store windows, stealing merchandise and cash registers in the city early on Monday morning.

What sparked the violence? The looting broke out after police officers shot a man who fired first at them, according to Police Superintendent David Brown. Looters shot a security guard and a civilian, who are both in critical condition. A viral video incorrectly stated the 20-year-old suspect, who is expected to recover and had a long criminal history, was a 15-year-old boy, setting off the riots. Brown said police made more than 100 arrests, and 13 officers were injured. Officials found no evidence that the violence was connected to demonstrations over the deaths of George Floyd or Breonna Taylor.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Hickman’s report in Vitals on arrests of pro-life protesters in Washington, D.C.