At least 15 people were shot, at least two fatally, after a shooting started at a Park Manor business, where a party was taking place on Sunday morning, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
A fight broke out between several people attending the party at about 4:40 am on block 6700 on South South Chicago Avenue, when the shooting began, Chicago police said.
Fifteen people were affected, aged between 20 and 44, according to the police.
Two people were pronounced dead, said fire department spokesman Larry Merritt. The other injured people were all listed in serious or critical condition in hospitals.
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A photo of the scene shared by the fire department showed balloons and a shoe spread outside the Think Tank South Side, at 6798 S. South Chicago Ave.
Law enforcement officers placed at least 10 evidence markers outside the building, but most investigators appeared to be looking inside the company. There appeared to be a pool of blood on the sidewalk near the building’s door.
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The shooting was one of the most violent in terms of the number of wounded in recent memory in Chicago. Last July, 15 people were shot outside a funeral home in Gresham, but none of the victims died.
In 2013, a mass shooting wounded 13 people, including a 3-year-old boy, at Cornell Park near 51st and Wood in Back of the Yards.
Last December, six people were injured after a shooting started at an overnight party in a South Side lounge in the Burnside neighborhood.
So far this year, police have responded to 393 shooting incidents in the city as of March 7, according to police statistics. This represents a 31% increase over the same period last year, which saw 301 shootings incidents.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.