South DuSable Lake Shore Drive was closed around 9 p.m. Monday at 57th Street after about 1,000 people gathered near Jackson Park, with police facing a heavy crowd presence that included people jumping on cars and throwing objects. The crowd thinned by 10 p.m.
A stretch of South DuSable Lake Shore Drive went dark for drivers Monday night after a large crowd surged near Jackson Park, pulling police into a heavy, rapidly evolving scene.
Chicago police said traffic was closed around 9 p.m. on Lake Shore Drive at 57th Street. Officers were responding to what they described as a crowd estimated at about 1,000 people gathering in the area. Some in the group were seen jumping on top of cars. while others threw objects and charged toward a line of police officers.
No arrests were reported. By 10 p.m., the crowd had dwindled.
The closure followed an earlier warning from the University of Chicago Police. On Friday, the agency issued an alert about a possible “teen takeover” gathering planned for Monday night near 57th Street Beach.
Chicago police also said officers were on scene of another large crowd Monday night at North Avenue Beach, though they did not provide additional information about that incident.
The unrest comes only days after an incident Sunday involving an “unauthorized large gathering” that ended with a driver veering into five Chicago police officers as they were dispersing the crowd on the Near West Side. An 18-year-old man was charged with attempted murder in that case. Mayor Brandon Johnson urged families to stay vigilant after the early-morning incident. saying. “I continue to call on parents and guardians to know where their children are and to help ensure they are safe and accounted for.”.
Lake Shore Drive closure 57th Street Jackson Park Chicago police teen takeover alert North Avenue Beach unauthorized gathering attempted murder charge Brandon Johnson