Fifteen people were shot in a mass shooting late Saturday night in Washington Park on Chicago’s South Side, marking the largest such incident in the city this year. The gathering was a reunion of former residents of the Robert Taylor Homes, an area where some attendees, including Demetrius Sandifer, had previously lived.
According to initial police reports, two individuals dressed in black and wearing ski masks fired into the crowd from across Cottage Grove Avenue shortly after 11:30 p.m. Authorities recovered shell casings from both sides of the street, including rifle casings, indicating shots were fired both from outside the park and from within. No arrests have been made as of Monday, and the Wentworth area detectives continue to investigate.
The victims ranged in age from 21 to 47 and came from various parts of the city and suburbs, with most living on the South Side. While early reports indicated that 10 people had been shot, police later confirmed that 15 people were wounded after additional victims arrived at hospitals on their own. This surpasses a previous record for 2026 of 14 victims in a June drive-by shooting in Roseland.
Among those shot was Rontonio Guterz, 35, who was the sole fatality. Friends and family described him as a close member of their circle. Shontia Sanders, who was wounded in the attack, said Guterz was like a brother and a good father, calling his death a tremendous loss. Sanders herself suffers from long-standing trauma related to gun violence; her brother was killed in the 2005 Taste of Chicago shooting, and another brother survived a previous shooting. She was wounded in the back during Saturday’s incident and discharged from the hospital by Monday, now recovering at home with her three children.
Sandifer, 42, who was shot in the foot and sustained broken ankle bones, remained hospitalized on Monday awaiting surgery. A maintenance worker who supports several buildings in Bronzeville, he anticipated being out of work for some time but expressed a desire to return as soon as possible. Sandifer said he had not known what triggered the shooting and did not believe he was the intended target. “It’s Chicago — every week something happens,” he said, noting that violence often feels like a distant threat until it touches one’s life directly.
The shooting highlights persistent disparities in gun violence across Chicago. Data through August 23 shows a 58% increase in homicides in Chicago Police Department Area 1, which covers Washington Park and much of the mid-South and Southwest sides, compared with the same period last year. Despite this, citywide shootings are down 2%, and homicides have seen a slight increase of 4%. These figures underscore uneven patterns of violence reduction across different neighborhoods.
Authorities continue to seek information regarding the motive and identities of the shooters. Meanwhile, survivors like Sanders expressed fear and uncertainty about attending future gatherings. “I’m just terrified to attend another one,” she said. No arrests had been made as police pursued leads to bring those responsible to justice.