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Chicago law enforcement attempted to get people to safety during a “teen takeover” in Millennium Park over the weekend. I had just returned from the NRA show in Indianapolis late Saturday night when I got messages asking if I had seen what was happening downtown.

When police refused to let hundreds of teenagers into Millennium Park, violence broke out. The mob trashed property, attacked people, broke windows, and even started a car on fire. Two people were shot during the hijinks.

The couple in this video got caught in the mayhem after they made the mistake of walking out of Nordstrom. The mob took everything they had, including the couple’s shoes.

From the Daily Mail . . .

More footage from the evening of chaos showed some teenagers jumping on top of a bus while others started a massive brawl after descending on Millennium Park and attempting to breach barricades. 

Gunshots rang out, with rounds striking two teenage boys aged 16 and 17 who were reported to be in stable condition as of Sunday. 

Cars were also left vandalized near East Washington Street in the Windy City, including a Tesla which was seized and torched.

The situation began Saturday when a crowd of more than a hundred rowdy teenagers turned violent as dozens torched and smashed cars while blaring music. 

In total, 15 people were arrested including nine adults and six children. 

Police were unable to control or hamper the damage done by the teens, whose numbers may have exceeded 1,000.

Lori Lightfoot, the outgoing mayor of Chicago, released a statement calling the violence a “teen takeover.” From the looks of the videos on social media, that was no takeover. It was a full-blown riot.

All available police units responded, but let’s be honest…they were a little outnumbered. The good news is Chicago will soon be swearing in Brandon Johnson as the new mayor to  save the day by hiring social workers.

Johnson has said he won’t defund the police, which is somewhat true. For now, he is going to redirect funds to hire workers. Since the police department can’t find enough qualified police recruits, it may never see that money go toward putting officers on the streets again.

As a former firefighter-paramedic, I would like to know how that will work since unarmed emergency services personnel aren’t supposed to be on the scene until it’s secure.

The images on Twitter remind me of the riots a couple of 2020. Chicago has strict gun laws in the country and Illinois just enacted more. Since the rioters overwhelmed the police, it would be interesting to hear what Mayor-Elect Johnson advises that law-abiding citizens do while they wait for the police — or a therapist — to arrive to respond to future takeovers riots.

A common question I get from students in firearms classes is how, as an instructor, I would handle a situation such as this. The best answer is to do everything possible not to be there in the first place.

My personal plan, which I have mentioned before, is to act like I am part of the mob and fade away, but that’s not something just anyone can pull off. Getting caught in a mob is one of the worst things that can happen.

Mayor-Elect Johnson hasn’t taken what anyone would consider a hard line against the weekend’s mayhem. He said, “In no way do I condone the destructive activity we saw in the Loop and lakefront this weekend. It is unacceptable and has no place in our city,” Johnson said. “However, it is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities.”

“Our city must work together to create spaces for youth to gather safely and responsibly, under adult guidance and supervision, to ensure that every part of our city remains welcome for both residents and visitors.”

Johnson recommends a more holistic approach, “creating spaces” for youth to gather in a city that already has 8800 acres spread out among over 600 parks.

Let me see if I understand this correctly. The “teens” tried to destroy Millennium Park, which they’re not allowed in without a “responsible adult” after 6 p.m. because they’ve already committed an excessive amount of violence in the past. And the about-to-be Mayor’s solution is to create more spaces for feral teenagers that the undermanned police will need to patrol…even though they’ve shown the Chicago PD can’t keep existing areas safe.

Did I get that right?

In August 2020, WGN asked Johnson if he condoned looting. He said dodged the question saying, “People are acting out of desperation.” The reporter asked the question multiple times, and Johnson continued to evade it.

Finally, he answered by deflecting: “You can’t condone the looting corporations do every single day when they take tax dollars from black, brown, white folks from all over the city of Chicago.”

What really frosts me about the “logic” behind justifying the lawlessness and violence is where people get their information, such as this Facebook post. People like this guy use an article from a far left-leaning outlet they read to rationalize the violence, and that article was based on false information. As you can see, I pointed it out, and as usual, the original poster had no response.

Facebook Teen Takeover Post

Did I mention that the “teens” also tried to break into the Art Institute? I’m sure it was only to take in and admire the priceless artwork there.

I never ever thought I’d say this…Chicago might have been better off with Lightfoot. The city is about to get exactly what they voted for. The question is, are they ready for it?

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