CHICAGO — The City of Chicago opened an emergency assistance center at the Fosco Park Community Center Tuesday after a shooting near the building injured eight people just after midnight last Friday. This came as Mayor Brandon Johnson announced “Cycle Breakers” — An initiative aimed at disrupting the cycle of violence on the city’s South and West Sides.
The shooting near Fosco Park happened in the 1300 block of West Hastings Street in the city’s Little Italy neighborhood, where the oldest victim was a 74-year-old woman.
According to the Chicago Police Department, the incident was a result of a shootout between two people, and the victims were a part of the 109 people shot in Chicago over the Fourth of July weekend.
In response to shootings like this, the city sets up what they call emergency assistance centers (EAC) meant for victims, survivors, witnesses and residents that may need support after violent incidents happen in their community.
“The emergency assistance center is to address that acute harm that happens to a community, I.e., when we have an incident where 8 people or 9 people shot in one incident,” said Glen Brooks, CPD Director of Community Policing. “It is imperative we identify a location in that area to begin that healing process as quickly as possible.”
Inside the EAC at the Fosco Park Community Center, several booths were set up with resources from the surrounding community. One included a therapy dog for victims and survivors dealing with trauma from the incidents that unfolded last weekend.
Brooks said they have hosted about six of these events so far this year, and choose the location when there are shooting incidents with a high number of victims.
Stay with WGN News, as this is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.