Man charged in Halloween party mass shooting that wounded 15

CHICAGO - A man has been charged in connection with a mass shooting at a Halloween party that left 15 people wounded Sunday in the Lawndale neighborhood.

CPD Supt. Larry Snelling announced 48-year-old William Groves was charged with 15 counts of attempted first degree murder, 15 counts of aggravated battery/discharge of a firearm, one count of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and one count of unlawful discharge of a firearm in an occupied building.

Snelling described Groves as a convicted felon who "should not have had a gun."

Groves was arrested after the shooting which took place just after 1 a.m. in the 1200 block of South Pulaski Road - outside Studio 1258.

The victims – six women and nine men – range in age from 26 to 53, according to police. About 100 people were attending the Halloween party when gunfire rang out.

A 26-year-old woman was listed in critical condition with gunshot wounds to the hip and buttocks, and a 48-year-old man was also in critical condition with several gunshot wounds. Thirteen others were wounded by gunfire. All of the victims have since been upgraded to fair-to-good condition and are expected to survive.

Police said witnesses told responding officers that Groves was kicked out of the party and came back minutes later with a gun and started shooting. Police arrested Groves in the 400 block of 14th Street. A .357 caliber handgun was also recovered.

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx said her office has filed a petition to have Groves detained pretrial because "he is a threat to those in the community."

"I don't know whether to scream or to cry. We shouldn't be out here on a Sunday because 15 victims lay in a hospital because they were shot, because someone couldn't get back into a party. When does this end community? When does the fight stop fighting one another?" said Ald. Monique Scott, (24th).

Mayor Brandon Johnson released a statement Sunday night, saying in part:

"As with all acts of gun violence in our city, my heart is with the victims, families and communities impacted. The Community Safety Coordination Center will ensure that victims and survivors have the resources they need to address trauma, and my office will continue to mobilize the full force of government in working with City agencies, community-based partners, faith leaders and others to reduce the number of guns on Chicago streets and bring safety to our neighborhoods and families."

William Groves | Chicago police