On January 26, 2024, a tragic shooting occurred in the Loop area of Chicago, resulting in the deaths of two high school students, including 16-year-old Robert Boston. The incident took place around 12:25 p.m. near Washington Street and Wabash Avenue, outside Innovations High School, a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Youth Connection Charter School (YCCS) located at 17 N. State Street.
Robert Boston and his classmate, 17-year-old Monterio Williams, were among a group of about six students exiting the school when two vehicles, a dark-colored sedan and an SUV, pulled up. A group of individuals, described as masked offenders, exited the vehicles and opened fire on the students. Both Robert Boston and Monterio Williams were struck by the gunfire. Boston was shot in the chest, while Williams was shot in the right hip and chest.
The shooting was witnessed by several people, including a local delivery worker and a woman whose jacket was grazed by a bullet. The woman, identified as Berenice Vargas, did not seek medical treatment but was interviewed by detectives about the incident. Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with multiple shots fired and police cars rushing to the area shortly after the shooting.
Both victims were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victims as Robert Boston and Monterio Williams, both of whom lived on the city's Near West Side.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) reviewing surveillance footage, including CTA camera footage, to identify the suspects. No one is in custody at this time, and the CPD is urging anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.
Mayor Brandon Johnson and other city officials have expressed their condolences to the families of the victims and the Innovations High School community. Mayor Johnson stated that the Mayor's Office of Community Safety has activated its victim services support teams to aid the victims' families and fellow students.
The community has been deeply affected by this incident, with calls for increased efforts to curb gun violence in Chicago. Alderman Bill Conway, whose ward includes the site of the shooting, emphasized the need for more resources to fight and deter crime in the city.
