3 Stabbed, Multiple Hospitalized In Chicago After July 4th Festivities Turned Violent

Fourth of July festivities turned violent in Chicago after multiple people were stabbed during a fireworks display.

The incident occurred at Chicago’s Navy Pier, which was flooded with people eager to enjoy the fireworks Thursday night. The pier had been so busy that the entrance had to be closed since it was at capacity for the festivities.

However, things soon turned chaotic after an altercation led to three people being stabbed. It stemmed from a fight where a small group started flashing gang signs at each other. During the fight, a 14-year-old boy was stabbed in his arm and ribs while a 15-year-old was stabbed in his armpit. Another bystander, not involved in the fight, was stabbed in his face and arm as a result of the altercation.

The crowd around the fight began to scatter, and only got worse when someone reportedly screamed gun and tossed firecrackers into the crowd. This led to 16 people being hospitalized from being trampled as the crowd tried to escape the pier.

A third teen also had to be hospitalized after suffering a puncture wound in his leg from running into a table trying to escape the pier.

“I was walking toward the exit and all of the sudden people were running toward me,” a witness told NBC5 Chicago. “My first instinct was to run away as well. It was just a panic, and everyone went along with it.”

While everyone harmed was rushed to the hospital, they are all expected to make full recoveries. However, the three individuals stabbed as a result of the fight were reportedly “uncooperative” with investigators regarding the altercation.