A 14-year-old Chicago boy was among eight teenagers shot during a "teen takeover" in the city's Loop on Friday night. Armani Floyd was killed, while seven others were injured. The violence erupted during a crowded teen gathering in Millennium Park, where crowds had flocked to watch the annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony.
Armani's father, Ulysses Floyd Sr., said his son had a bright future ahead of him and was actively working to prevent violence in the community through basketball and outreach programs. He believed that his son had "a good future" and was making positive changes before his tragic death.
The shooting has sparked renewed debate over how to handle teen gatherings, with some officials calling for stricter measures such as a snap curfew. President Donald Trump decried the violence, saying it was due to crime and rioting, while Mayor Brandon Johnson said the shootings "set us back as a city."
Alderman Brian Hopkins proposed introducing a new curfew ordinance that would require social media platforms to remove posts promoting teen gatherings or face a $50,000 fine. He claimed his plan wouldn't infringe on free speech rights.
The incident has also highlighted concerns about outreach efforts aimed at preventing violence among teenagers. Armani attended Project sWish, an after-school program that uses basketball to prevent gun violence, where he stood out as an exceptional player and leader.
Friends of Armani gathered at a South Side basketball court to honor his memory, placing candles near photos of him. McKinley Nelson, the founder of Project sWish, hopes that justice is served in the shooting and wants the young community to learn from their peer's tragic death and make better decisions moving forward.
Armani's father, Ulysses Floyd Sr., said his son had a bright future ahead of him and was actively working to prevent violence in the community through basketball and outreach programs. He believed that his son had "a good future" and was making positive changes before his tragic death.
The shooting has sparked renewed debate over how to handle teen gatherings, with some officials calling for stricter measures such as a snap curfew. President Donald Trump decried the violence, saying it was due to crime and rioting, while Mayor Brandon Johnson said the shootings "set us back as a city."
Alderman Brian Hopkins proposed introducing a new curfew ordinance that would require social media platforms to remove posts promoting teen gatherings or face a $50,000 fine. He claimed his plan wouldn't infringe on free speech rights.
The incident has also highlighted concerns about outreach efforts aimed at preventing violence among teenagers. Armani attended Project sWish, an after-school program that uses basketball to prevent gun violence, where he stood out as an exceptional player and leader.
Friends of Armani gathered at a South Side basketball court to honor his memory, placing candles near photos of him. McKinley Nelson, the founder of Project sWish, hopes that justice is served in the shooting and wants the young community to learn from their peer's tragic death and make better decisions moving forward.
another young life lost in chicago... 14 yrs old already gone 
it's crazy how quickly these things can happen... you'd think that with all the outreach programs like project sWish, we could prevent some of this violence 
but i guess it's not that simple... armani was makin positive moves in his community too, playin basketball and helpin out with outreach... what a shame he got taken away from us 
. This senseless violence is just heartbreaking. It's so frustrating when officials are all like "let's impose stricter measures" without even considering the root causes of this problem 
. We need more programs like Project sWish that focus on community building and providing kids with positive outlets like sports. The idea of social media platforms being fined for promoting teen gatherings is kinda sketchy, but I get where Alderman Brian Hopkins is coming from 
. It's all about finding a balance between keeping our communities safe and not stifling free speech 
. Can we please just have more conversations that don't involve blaming or shaming? 
14yo Armani was just livin life with his friends at the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Millennium Park and then BAM! 8 teens get shot in a matter of minutes... it's so senseless 
. i'm really worried about these kids who are tryna make a difference through basketball and outreach programs like Project sWish 
. they didn't deserve to die. u gotta wonder what could've been done differently, like if there was a better way for the police to handle the situation or something... it's just so frustrating 
. we need more support for kids who are tryna make a positive impact in their communities, not less 
and not really gonna help anything. we should be focusing on stuff like the after-school program that was trying to prevent gun violence, you know, actually helping kids make better choices. 
14 years old Armani Floyd lost his life over a gathering at Millennium Park. It's just not right, you know? 
... should be stricter measures tho, a snap curfew in the loop might help prevent these kinds of incidents... dont wanna infringe on free speech rights though, that's a slippery slope 