2 dead, 2 injured in shooting outside Chicago high school

No suspects are in custody at this time.

December 16, 2022, 7:24 PM

Police are searching for the perpetrator in a shooting outside a Chicago high school that left two dead and two others wounded Friday afternoon.

Gunfire erupted as students were being dismissed from Benito Juarez High School shortly before 2 p.m., Chicago Police Department Superintendent David Brown told reporters during a press briefing Friday evening.

The four shooting victims were transported to an area hospital, police said. Two succumbed to their injuries, while two others were in serious condition being treated, Brown said.

PHOTO: Authorities are seeking to identify the individual pictured in connection to the shooting near Benito Juarez High School in Chicago, on Dec. 16, 2022.
Authorities are seeking to identify the individual pictured in connection to the shooting near Benito Juarez High School, in Chicago, on Dec. 16, 2022.
Chicago Police Department

Governor JB Pritzker condemned the shooting on Twitter.

"Schools are the cornerstone of neighborhoods and students deserve to feel safe. Earlier today, senseless gun violence took the lives of two people outside of Benito Juarez High School and injured two more,” Pritzker said.

Brown said police have not confirmed whether those involved in the shooting were students at the school. The ages of the victims were also not available.

"We're just starting this video gathering and we're just starting the investigation. Any speculation would just be inappropriate," Brown said.

No suspects are in custody at this time, Brown said.

Police responding to a shooting outside Benito Juarez High School in Chicago, Dec. 16, 2022.
WLS

Chicago Public Schools announced an "all clear'" for students in the school several hours after the shooting, according to Chicago Police Department spokesperson Tom Ahern.

"All of us are trying to find answers," Pedro Martinez, the head of Chicago Public Schools, told reporters. "I'm very concerned that this happened on our grounds."

Worried parents showed up at the school waiting for word on their children.

"It's scary to find out that your daughter is at one of those schools that just got shot," parent Emanuel Orozco told ABC Chicago station WLS.