Devonte Terrell Williamson, 23, a Black male from Chicago, was among four people killed when gunfire erupted outside Artis Restaurant & Lounge at 311 W. Chicago Ave. late on July 2, 2025, as guests spilled out from an album release party for drill rapper Mello Buckzz. Family said Devonte Terrell Williamson, 23, had gone to support the artist he'd recently begun dating, and he was struck in the chest; relatives raced between hospitals before learning at Stroger that he had died.
He was remembered by his mother as outgoing, popular, and protective, and as a young father devoted to his two-year-old daughter.
The night's chaos unfolded in seconds. As the party ended, a black SUV rolled up and at least three people inside opened fire into the crowd before speeding away. Eighteen people were shot; four—two men and two women—did not survive. The Cook County medical examiner identified the deceased as Devonte Terrell Williamson, 23; Leon Andrew Henry, 25; Taylor Walker, 26; and Aviance King, 27. Others, many in their 20s, were rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Stroger Hospital, and other facilities, while witnesses described the scene as a war zone.
In the hours that followed, city officials condemned the attack as a targeted, “cowardly” act rather than a random burst of violence. Detectives recovered two different calibers of shell casings and said a rifle may have been used. Police closed the venue during the investigation and appealed for tips as they reviewed video and pieced together the barrage that shattered the River North night.
As of the immediate aftermath, no arrests had been announced. The shooters in the dark SUV remained at large, and authorities had not publicly identified suspects or a precise motive, even as family and friends of Devonte Terrell Williamson, 23, gathered to mourn and to demand accountability.
