Articles and News

Chicago, IL--ABC Channel 7 Eyewitness News reported on its web site that rampant looting resulting in 100 arrests too place yesterday in Chicago. According to the report, the looters were called to action by a Facebook post that may have been in response to a Police-involved shooting and they looted stores on the Magnificent Mile, State Street and parts of the Gold Coast neighborhood, South Loop and Near North Sides. 13 Police Officers were injured in working to contain the violent destruction of many stores, including retail jewelers.

Chicago Police Department Superintendent David brown told Channel 7 that more than 400 officers were deployed to the downtown area after officers were notified of social media posts encouraging people to go to the Loop and loot businesses.

"Criminals took to the streets with the confidence that there would be no consequences for their actions," Brown said.

Restricted Access to Downtown Area Enacted

As a result, restricted access to the Loop started Monday night. Access to the downtown area will be restricted from 8 PM to 6 AM, city officials told Channel 7.

"You spend your whole life trying to put this together and this has nothing to do with protesting," said Garry Zimmerman, owner of Windy City Diamonds, told Chicago's Channel 7 Eyewitness News. "This is 100% to do with what can we go out and loot and steal and break for fun. And why??"  Paul Young Fine Jeweler in Chicago (shown above in photo from the Chanel 7 story) is among jewelry stores devestated more than once already this year.

Below image from Channel 7 Eyewitness News Report shows Facebook post that drove the Looting last night. Click the image to read full article and watch videos,

Zimmerman said his shop on Jewelers Row has been hit three times now; it was completely destroyed during the looting over Memorial weekend. No merchandise has ever actually been stolen, as all the jewelry is kept locked in a safe that looters tried and failed to get to.

"It took six and a half weeks to rebuild the store," he said. "I'm open for a week and they break in again and destroy our cases. It's so heart-wrenching. We're very close to now saying, pretty soon you're not going to see any stores on the street anymore. They'll all be either upstairs in the building or out of the city. It's not safe. Who wants to go through this over and over and over again for no reason?"