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In a recent development regarding a tragic incident in Chicago, police have unveiled new details about an individual they suspect to be involved in a fatal shooting that occurred in the Loop last weekend.
The victim, identified as Armani Floyd, was fatally shot on Friday night at a location near the intersection of Dearborn and Monroe.
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Authorities have released surveillance footage that captures the suspect brandishing a firearm and taking aim. The individual in question is seen clad in a distinctive purple outfit paired with a gray hooded sweatshirt.
In addition to the video, police have also circulated images that provide a clear view of the suspect’s face just moments before the shots rang out.
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At the time of the shooting, downtown Chicago was bustling with thousands of attendees who had gathered for the festive Millennium Park Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.
Floyd’s death was tied to a so-called ‘teen takeover.’
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Police say there were two separate shootings that night. The one that killed Floyd near Dearborn and Monroe.
And another right outside the Chicago Theater which left another seven teens injured.
Floyd was killed a couple of weeks before his 15th birthday.
“He didn’t deserve it, and like all this could be prevented, everybody just come together as one, and stop trying to take people’s lives,” friend Kristian Thompson said.
His family is remembering him as a kind person and a good student.
2ndWard Alderman Brian Hopkins said in response to “teen takeovers” the city should instate a curfew well in advance of a planned gathering. Hopkins believes he has the votes to pass this curfew a second time, but it remains to be seen if Mayor Brandon Johnson would veto it again
Those who knew Armani Floyd well continue to cope with his sudden loss.
“I can’t imagine what his family is feeling if I’m feeling this way,” McKinley Nelson, founder of Project sWISH said.
Nelson is the founder of Project sWISH a nonprofit rooted in basketball and community, created as a safe space for Chicago’s teens to escape gun violence.
“I’m also hurting in a way where I provided this program in a way so stuff like this doesn’t happen,” Nelson said. “For it to still happen, it makes me question how hard we’re really going, right? If anything it’ll put some fuel to the fire.”
SEE ALSO: 14-year-old boy killed in Loop shootings ID’d, 8 others injured; Mayor Johnson speaks out: EXCLUSIVE
Floyd attended the organization’s weekly open gyms consistently for the past couple years and Nelson said he always brought his competitive spirit to the court.
Nelson said his last conversation with Floyd was just days before he was killed.
“I’m not there every single Wednesday, but Armani was there every single Wednesday,” Nelson said. “One of the brightest smiles I’ve seen, super vibrant energy. Once he gets on the court, he would make it a thing to make sure he doesn’t get off, right?.”
Nelson said he tells kids in the program to always avoid these gatherings.
“Just don’t go,” Nelson said. ” I don’t understand it, right? I don’t see anything positive coming from it. I don’t understand the purpose of it.”
Nelson is now working to commemorate and honor Floyd’s life through Project sWISH in early December where he hopes his peers have a chance to heal, following this deep loss.
A reward of up to $15,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest in this case.
