Mass Looting Erupts in ‘Chiraq’ After Confusing Officer-Involved Shooting

The behavior that Americans witness coming out of The Windy City on Sunday night was raw, visceral, and misguided.

An officer-involved shooting in Chicago this week sparked a protest and, eventually, rioting and looting.

Videos circulating online show widespread looting and clashes with police across Chicago’s Magnificent Mile shopping district early Monday, sparked by an officer-involved shooting hours earlier that left a 20-year-old man wounded.

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said as of Monday morning, responding units have arrested more than 100 people so far on charges ranging from disorderly conduct to battery against police. He added that 13 officers were hurt in the unrest, including a sergeant struck in the face with a bottle and an officer who had his nose broken while scuffling with a group of looters.

“This was not an organized protest. Rather, this was an incident of pure criminality,” Brown told reporters. “This was an act of violence against our police officers and against our city.”

But there appeared to be some confusion regarding the incident that sparked the protest.

Many news sources have cited that a 20 year old man was shot and injured by police after discharging a firearm in their direction.  On Twitter, however, there appears to be a concerted effort to promote the idea that this was a 15 year old child and that he was shot in the back and head.

This confusion, especially given just how widespread the story appears to be, may very well have played into the escalation of violence that we witnessed in Chicago on Sunday night.