Border Patrol shoots woman on Southwest Side; agents, protesters battle for hours
The shooting occurred Saturday in Brighton Park when federal patrols were “rammed by 10 cars,” according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, which has yet to be verified. In the protests that followed, agents used tear gas and pepper balls.
By Tom Schuba, Cindy Hernandez, Selena Kuznikov, Michael Puente | WBEZ, Mary Norkol and Kade Heather
The U.S. Border Patrol shot a woman Saturday on the Southwest Side, marking the second shooting involving federal agents in Chicago since President Donald Trump’s administration launched an aggressive immigration enforcement operation in the area last month.
Following the late-morning incident in Brighton Park, an angry crowd gathered. About 100 protesters were met with pepper balls and tear gas deployed by federal agents in skirmishes that lasted until late afternoon. Later Saturday, the White House announced that it would send 300 National Guard troops to Illinois despite Gov. JB Pritzker’s objections.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said the Brighton Park shooting erupted after patrolling agents were “rammed by 10 cars” and “boxed in.” Agents then fired “defensive shots” when they discovered the woman “was armed with a semi-automatic weapon” while driving one of the cars, McLaughlin said.
The Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ have not independently verified the feds’ account. The exact time and location of the shooting weren’t immediately known.
McLaughlin said “no law enforcement officers were seriously injured,” and the wounded woman “drove herself to the hospital to get care for wounds.” But Larry Merritt, a Chicago Fire Department spokesman, said she was found near South 35th Street and California Avenue and taken in fair condition to Mount Sinai Hospital. She was treated and discharged, a hospital spokesman said.
Chicago police records shared with the Sun-Times show that a Border Patrol agent had called for assistance, reporting that roughly 30 agents had been “surrounded by a large crowd of people.” But police officials weren’t sent to help, the records show.
A police spokesperson said officers ultimately responded to a call of a person shot in the 3900 block of South Kedzie Avenue “to document the incident” and “maintain safety and traffic control for all living and working in the area.”
“We’re here so that you can protest,” Chicago Police Deputy Chief Gabriella Shemash told protesters.
But the Chicago Police Department “is not involved in the incident or its investigation. Federal authorities are investigating this shooting,” the spokesperson said.
The shooting happened about 10:30 a.m., according to workers at the Clark gas station and Liantas Tires.
Nari, 29, who declined to share his last name because of fears for his safety, was working at the gas station register. He says he heard about three loud pops that he thought sounded like gunfire, though he wasn’t sure because of the frequent loud noises at a rail yard across the street.
After hearing the gunshots, he waited a few minutes before going outside, where he saw ICE agents by the road, he said.
Following the shooting, about noon, protesters began gathering on a stretch of Kedzie Avenue with small businesses on one side of the street and a rail yard on the other. The protesters lined both sides and chanted, “ICE go home.” Some protesters threw water bottles. When agents used tear gas and pepper balls, the protesters briefly dispersed and then returned. Several protesters were seen being detained by agents, including one person being taken down to the ground by at least three officers.
Chicago police officers who arrived were greeted with shouts from protesters complaining that the police were not protecting them. Protesters remained until federal agents left around 4 p.m.
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Ald. Julia Ramirez, whose 12th Ward includes Brighton Park, said there was “pure escalation” from federal agents on Saturday. She said community members feel that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are antagonizing protesters.
“It doesn’t seem like things are calming down,” Ramirez said. “We’ve seen immense anger from neighbors feeling like federal agents are provoking and wanting to incite violence on people who just care about keeping people safe.”
Ramirez said a man who was driving one of the vehicles involved in the accident was detained. She said he is a U.S. citizen, but she could not confirm his name or age.
“Ultimately, this community stands with all of our neighbors,” Ramirez said. “Especially our immigrant neighbors.”
Federal agents shoot armed woman, 2 arrested in alleged Brighton Park vehicle ramming, DHS says
Border Patrol agents ‘boxed in’ by 10 vehicles, DHS says; protesters clash with agents at shooting scene
An armed woman, a U.S. citizen, was shot and injured by federal agents at 39th and Kedzie in Brighton Park Saturday, DHS and Chicago officials said.
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A woman was injured in a shooting involving federal agents on Chicago’s Southwest Side on Saturday morning, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
The incident was followed by hours of tense clashes between protesters and federal authorities as tear gas and other chemical agents were deployed several times.
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DHS said its officers were patrolling in the area of West Pershing Road and South Kedzie Avenue in the city’s Brighton Park neighborhood when they were rammed by vehicles and “boxed in” by 10 vehicles. Officers were unable to move their vehicles, so they exited them.
One of the drivers involved in the car-ramming was armed with a semi-automatic weapon, DHS said, and officers fired “defensive shots.”
The allegedly armed woman, a U.S. citizen, was injured and allegedly took herself to a hospital for treatment, federal officials said.
The Chicago Fire Department later said that the injured woman was taken to a hospital by CFD crews for a gunshot wound and her condition was stable.
DHS said the allegedly armed woman who was shot was named in a Customs and Border Protection intelligence bulletin last week for allegedly doxxing agents online.
“Pritzker’s Chicago Police Department is leaving the shooting scene and refuses to assist us in securing the area. There is a growing crowd and we are deploying special operations to control the scene,” DHS said.
ABC7 crews saw FBI, DHS, ATF and Border Patrol on the scene, as well as Chicago police.
CPD issued a statement, saying, “The Chicago Police Department responded to the 3900 block of S. Kedzie Ave Saturday morning for a call of a person shot. CPD responded to the scene to document the incident. CPD officers were also on-scene to maintain safety and traffic control for all living and working in the area. CPD is not involved in the incident or its investigation. Federal authorities are investigating this shooting, and all further inquiries regarding the circumstances of this shooting should be referred to the appropriate federal authorities.”
DHS says the woman who was shot has been discharged from a hospital and is now in FBI custody. The driver of another vehicle allegedly involved in the ramming was also taken into custody. DHS also says several Border Patrol agents were hospitalized after being injured in the aftermath of the shooting.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem posted on social media after the shooting Saturday, saying more federal agents were on the way.
Also Saturday, Governor JB Pritzker said the Trump administration is trying to mobilize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard. The White House later confirmed the move, saying President Donald Trump has “authorized 300 national guardsmen to protect federal officers and assets” amid ongoing ICE raids in the Chicago area.
People living near the scene in Brighton Park protested outside all day Saturday. They said it is traumatizing to see this happen in their neighborhoods.
Large crowds quickly gathered near the scene following the shooting, protesting ICE operations.
“We see it on the news,” nearby resident Claudia Zuno ‘We see it on our phones, but to see it live is just shocking, that this is America, this is the country we love.”
Part of an escalation during the protest was caught on camera by people in the crowd as DHS brought in a military vehicle while tear gas and rubber bullets were deployed several times.
“People are scared to go out,” a nearby resident named Crystal said. “Kids are afraid to go to school. We should not be living like this.”
Another incident was caught on camera at 37th and Kedzie immediately following the shooting involving federal agents. Sara Barrera was filming the scene as she says her boyfriend followed orders to step back when he was thrown to the ground by federal agents.
“He had his hand behind his back and they started saying he had a gun, but he was just scratching his back, and they all pointed guns toward him and ran towards him,” Barrera said.
Barrera shared photos of her boyfriend being taken away on a stretcher. She says she was not allowed to see him at the hospital as federal authorities said he was in custody and would be charged after being treated.
“They’re doing way too much,” Barrera said. “They’re not even going for what they came here to do anymore… that was not an immigration issue.”
Everything remained calm after federal agents left the scene here Saturday evening.
No other injuries during Saturday’s incident.
Trump Tower SWAT response: Woman allegedly armed with rifle enters Chicago building
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Trump Tower SWAT response: Woman with rifle enters Chicago building
There was a large police presence outside Chicagos Trump Tower Wednesday afternoon.
CHICAGO – Chicago police say an armed woman was taken into custody Wednesday after walking into the Trump International Hotel and Tower and setting off an hourslong SWAT standoff at the downtown skyscraper.
She was allegedly brandishing a rifle when she entered the building at 401 N. Wabash Ave. around 11:25 a.m., according to two law enforcement sources. The incident was thought to be domestic in nature and wasn’t linked to terrorism.
Police radio traffic shows officers were called to an apartment on the 27th floor, where the woman allegedly went after saying “she was tired of being abused by her husband.”
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She was taken into custody and brought to a hospital to be evaluated, Chicago police said.
No injuries were reported, and there was no immediate threat to the public.
Chicago Woman Shot with Stolen Buyback Gun Files Suit
NRA has often reported on failed “gun buyback” programs in cities across the country as being worse than useless. Unfortunately, for some, these programs have led to even more dangerous and life-threatening consequences. While the Chicago Police “gun turn-in program” website states that “all guns are destroyed and never returned to the streets,” that was not the case for Twanda Willingham. Ms. Willingham recently filed suit against the City of Chicago and others after she was shot with a Glock 21 .45 caliber handgun that had been relinquished to Chicago police at a gun turn-in event in December 2023. The same firearm that was used to shoot Ms. Willingham was then used in at least two other shootings before being discovered on a 16-year old boy months later, as we reported back in April of this year.View Related Articles
According to the recently filed lawsuit, after the firearm was transferred to the tactical team office following the turn-in event, the Glock disappeared in a room full of police officers. In the subsequent investigation, it was discovered that a tag identifying the Glock had been hidden on a different firearm. The tag that should have accompanied the Glock was later found in the trash, evidence of a purposeful theft and cover-up to make it more difficult to track the firearm or its recovery. Further adding to the drama, the officer that was listed on those inventory records was later shot and killed by a fellow tactical team officer in what the police department labeled a friendly fire accident during a police pursuit.
No one was ever charged in any of the three crimes in which the Glock was used and the police sergeant that supervised the gun turn-in event where the firearm disappeared was suspended for one day for “failure to adequately secure and care for department property.”
In a city with some of the harshest and most restrictive gun control laws in the nation, the bottom line is that a criminal got a hold of a firearm due to its apparent theft by a police officer. This was facilitated, ironically, by an event supposedly designed to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals.
Sadly, this was not an isolated event for the city of Chicago, nor for other states. A similar situation unfolded previously in Chicago, where another firearm, expected to be inventoried and destroyed following a turn-in event, instead was later found next to the body of a man shot and killed in a police-involved shooting.
Public safety is not enhanced by gun “turn-in” programs and certainly not in Chicago. For over three decades now, researchers from all sides of the gun policy debate appear to agree on the ineffectiveness of firearm turn-in events in reducing violent crime. In fact, some statistical and anecdotal evidence shows that they can be considered counterproductive and downright dangerous.
Local efforts, like Chicago’s gun “turn-in” program, certainly contribute to perpetuating an official anti-gun orthodoxy by local government entities. But they also continue to serve as socially engineered distractions to the honest conversations needed on real public safety measures, which now should include accountability for government officials involved in the sort of debacles alleged in Ms. Willingham’s suit.
