Streeterville attack sparks calls for prosecution and stricter regulations

CHICAGO – Streeterville residents, business owners and a city council member who represents the neighborhood are expressing concern and frustration over recent events, which include a violent attack on a couple.

Brian Hopkins, 2nd District City Councilman and chairman of the Public Safety Committee, said he is aware that many people who live and work in the area are nervous.

In recent weeks, large groups of teenagers have gathered in the area, using the AMC River East 21 Theaters as a gathering place. Hopkins said the groups are communicating through social media to coordinate these meetings, but it’s not the gathering itself that concerns him.

“We don’t have a problem with teenagers talking to other teenagers and hanging out downtown. But when they cross the line into criminality, we have a problem, and that’s what’s happening,” Hopkins said. “The recent incident of the random attack on the Streeterville couple was unfortunately not the first and we fear it won’t be the last.”

On Friday evening, CPD officers took a 14-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl into custody after they were allegedly involved in an attack on a couple living in the area.

Hopkins said he saw the private surveillance video and spoke to the couple at length about the incident.

“This was a random, unprovoked attack. They were just walking home from dinner and were attacked from behind without warning. They were not robbed, which is interesting because she had a purse on her,” Hopkins said. “This was violence for the sake of violence, which makes it even more disturbing in many ways because it can literally happen to anyone at any time in this neighborhood.”

According to Chicago police, a 40-year-old man and woman were walking in the 400 block of E. Grand Avenue when a group of assailants approached them. The 14-year-old suspect allegedly punched the man, and the 17-year-old suspect pulled the woman’s hair.

Hopkins said the couple initially refused medical treatment at the scene, hoping to get home quickly because they were shaken, but later realized their injuries were more serious than they first thought.

The councilman told WGN Radio he did not want to comment on a private matter, but confirmed reports that the woman, while seeking further medical treatment, learned she had suffered a miscarriage.

Hopkins said he remains in contact with the couple and will continue to support them throughout the process, but would like to see the charges in the case increased.

On Wednesday, he issued a public safety alert to residents, addressing the attack on the couple and outlining further steps he is taking to address problems in the area.

“I have personally requested that the Cook County District Attorney’s Office convert the current misdemeanor charges to felony charges given the seriousness of the attackers’ actions,” Hopkins wrote. “The current misdemeanor charges are completely inappropriate. The investigation is ongoing and may result in additional charges against some of the other perpetrators who were involved in the crime but were not immediately arrested at the scene.”

The Cook County District Attorney’s Office provided WGN with a statement regarding the investigation:

“Police report misdemeanor cases directly and they are not forwarded to the CCSAO before a charging decision is made. At this time, we have not received any information from police to consider felony charges associated with this incident. The Cook County District Attorney’s Office is committed to the work of justice and when felony charges are filed in any case, including cases involving minors, charging decisions are made based on the facts, evidence and the law.”

While Hopkins said he is not responsible for law enforcement in Cook County or the city of Chicago, he said he is working to pass a law that would help police deal with “chronic congregations of youth.”

He wants to implement an 8 p.m. curfew that would apply to the Central Business District, including the entire Streeterville neighborhood. Hopkins says it would apply to all minors, regardless of their activity, and prohibit them from being in the Central Business District without adult supervision.

The bill would first have to be passed by the full City Council, but if it advances, Chicago police would have the ability to arrest violators and bring them to court.

“I do not believe that every minor present at these recent gatherings had malicious intent, but it is painfully clear that some agitators and ringleaders have repeatedly incited violent and chaotic actions, and this behavior cannot be tolerated,” Hopkins wrote.

Hopkins is seeking change, and residents told WGN News they want it, too. Many voiced their concerns at a recent community meeting, saying the recent violence has heightened their worries.

“In a way, it’s sad. These are young people, and they too need a meaning in life that goes beyond mere chaos,” says Johanna Buehler, who has lived in the area for over 20 years.

Buehler said she is more cautious and aware of her surroundings. She said she doesn’t venture out as late at night as she did many years ago.

“Young people always have a certain acrimony, we all know that I was there once. But you have to channel it, you can’t just let them run around freely, it’s a residential area,” said Buehler.

Buehler also described the alleged attack on the couple as “inappropriate” and expressed her hope that the city leadership would work more closely with the population to solve the problems.

“We have to find a solution. We can’t let that happen because if they’re tourists, they won’t come back,” said Buehler. “It’s a great area. There’s so much to do. I love living here and hope we can get this under control.”

The owner of a gift shop and an adjacent liquor store near the theater, where large crowds had gathered, said his business had been affected by recent events.

“We actually close our doors at 8 a.m. and let customers in one at a time. The police presence on the street scares away traffic on the main thoroughfare that goes up and down Illinois Avenue,” the man said.

He told WGN News that he plans to speak at an upcoming town hall meeting and that he has heard residents’ concerns at previous meetings as well.

“People in the neighborhood are scared. One of the residents said she was afraid to even go out and walk her dog, and I don’t blame her,” he added.

He hopes officers will be more spread out, rather than stationed in large numbers near theaters and adjacent stores. He believes this will make workers feel safer and encourage people to visit stores on the block.

“This is very worrying. This is a bad situation.”