Suspected gunman in mass shooting in Near North Side wanted for weapons charges

CHICAGO (CBS) – The man, who was remanded in custody for a mass shooting on the Near North Side, has a criminal record and was wanted on a arrest warrant at the time of the shooting.

Charges are pending against the 21-year-old suspect on Friday night. CBS 2 does not identify him because he has not yet been charged, but police knew all about him.

An arrest warrant had been issued on January 4 this year for previous charges of weapons. According to court records, he failed to appear in court for four counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

Police have said the shooting happened around 6 p.m. 22.40 near Chicago Avenue and State Street, outside a McDonald’s restaurant and a CTA Red Line station.

Chicago Politisupt. David Brown said there were reports of a previous altercation between two groups in the 800 block of North State Street. Video shows officers dissolving physical quarrels between groups.

About 30 minutes after the previous confrontation, the two groups returned to the scene, and one person in one group started firing at the other group. Two people were killed – including and seven were injured.

Anthony Allen, 31, died at Stroger Hospital about an hour after the shooting. He was shot in the lower back, officials said. Another man who died has not been identified. He died at Northwestern Hospital late Thursday after being shot in the chest. The surviving victims include a 46-year-old woman who was shot in the leg and six men aged 17 to 31.

Brown said after shooting into a group outside the Chicago-State Red Line station – the suspect fled, and officers chased him to the CTA Red Line platform. The group followed the shooter into the Red Line tunnel. Police said officers captured the shooter and found the weapon.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot spoke about the suspected shooter Friday afternoon along with the dark future he could face.

“I think of the young man who shot last night, who is now in custody, whose life is now taking a completely different course; because in a moment of foolishness and haste he settled a verbal altercation with a firearm,” she said.