Fatal Loop 'teen takeover' leaves families, peers reeling

A teenage boy was killed in a "teen takeover" in Chicago's Loop area on Friday night, amidst a wave of violence that left several others injured. Armani Floyd, 16, died from multiple gunshot wounds at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Floyd's father, Ulysses Floyd Sr., has come under scrutiny for his involvement in anti-violence efforts, including organizing marches and food giveaways with his son. However, on Friday night, Armani fell victim to the same violence he was working to prevent. His father said that God had a better plan for him, but many are left reeling from the loss.

The incident has reignited a contentious debate over how to handle teen gatherings in Chicago. President Donald Trump decried what he called "crime and rioting," while Mayor Brandon Johnson acknowledged that the shooting set back the city's efforts to combat gun violence. Second Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins proposed reintroducing a snap curfew ordinance, which was vetoed by Johnson earlier this year.

Seven teens were injured in the first shooting near the Chicago Theatre, while two more were shot five blocks away. Eleven kids and eight adults, ages 14 to 33, have been arrested and charged with crimes related to the shootings. However, no one has been charged in either of the incidents.

Armani Floyd attended programs at Project sWish, an after-school program that uses basketball to prevent gun violence. He stood out among his peers for his passion for basketball and was admired by those who knew him. The program's founder, McKinley Nelson, described Armani as a "brother" who could do more on the court than the average 14-year-old.

A reward of $15,000 has been offered for information leading to an arrest in Armani's shooting. His family and friends are still grieving his loss, with many hoping that justice is served and that his memory can be used to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

this is just so sad i mean, you gotta think about all those teens involved in this - some of them were hurt, others are even accused of being involved... it's like, what happened here? and that one guy, Armani, he was trying to make a difference with that after-school program... he loved basketball, just like his community needs love too not saying that snap curfew thing would've worked or anything, but it's like we're stuck in this never-ending cycle of violence and I'm literally begging everyone to please keep talking about solutions not just condemning the violence

this is such a heartbreaking story it's just devastating that a teenager who was trying to make a difference by participating in anti-violence efforts ended up being a victim of gun violence armani floyd was only 16 and had his whole life ahead of him it's sad that we're still living in a world where young people like him are losing their lives due to senseless violence

and i'm not buying the "god had a better plan" excuse from armani's dad i get that he's grieving and all but blaming god for taking away his son just doesn't sit right with me it sounds like a cop-out to me

Man... this is just heartbreaking . I feel so sorry for the Floyd family, especially Ulysses Sr., who's been trying to make a difference through anti-violence efforts. It's like, he's fighting against gun violence, and then his own son gets caught in it.

I think the city is going to have to do some serious soul-searching about how to handle teen gatherings. These kids are just trying to have fun, but they're getting caught up in violence that's out of their control. It's like, we need to find a way to make these spaces safer and more supportive.

I don't think a snap curfew ordinance is the answer, though. I mean, it might feel like a quick fix, but what about all the other ways our cities can be designed to prevent violence? Like, how about after-school programs that actually work, like Project sWish?

The fact that Armani was part of that program and still got shot is just devastating. I hope his family gets the justice they deserve, and that we can all learn from this tragedy to create safer, more supportive communities for our young people

this is so sad another young life cut short by senseless violence it's like they're taking a step back for every forward one armani was doing the right thing too organizing and helping his community but now he's gone and we're all feeling the pain the city is in shock and it's time to talk about real solutions not just blaming games the government needs to step up their game and work with these teens to find a way out of this cycle not a curfew but real change that's what we need

I'm shocked by this senseless violence . A teenager who was actually trying to make a difference in his community ends up being a victim of it . It's just not right. I need more info on how Armani was involved with those anti-violence efforts, though - was he really organizing marches and food giveaways? What exactly was going on?

And what's the deal with this "teen takeover" nonsense? Is that even a real thing? The politicians are already jumping all over this to push for more curfews or whatever. I don't trust the data on these shootings - how many of those 11 teens arrested were actually involved in the shooting, and not just coincidentally?

This makes me think about all the other programs like Project sWish that are trying to prevent gun violence. Are they effective? Do we have enough funding for them? We need more transparency here, not just emotional appeals

Can't believe this is happening again. 16 yrs old boy from one of those programmes to stop gun violence gone . His dad is trying to do good but this is just senseless. how many more need to die? We're talking about kids, for crying out loud! 7 others got hurt & now they're all in the system too . We need to find a way to stop this before it gets worse. Can't let these young lives be lost over gang violence or whatever is going on here. it's just so unfair

just saw this and i'm literally shaking... 16yo Armani Floyd killed in chicago loop last nite what's going on with these kids? they're supposed to be leaders not victims project sWish, an after-school program that aims to prevent gun violence, had a student who was just doing the same thing he was supposed to be doing... fighting for a safer future and now he's gone i don't think reintroducing curfews is gonna solve anything, we need real change in our education system and community programs to give kids like Armani a chance at life

man this is so sad armani was tryna make a difference thru his program and now he's gone it's like the system failed him kinda hard u gotta wonder what went down on that night tho was it just a random shooting or was there more to it? president trump is always talking about crime but never really doing anything about it meanwhile, chicago needs some real change not just empty promises

this is so sad it feels like we're stuck in a loop where are we gonna stop the violence ? i mean i get why people wanna take action & put a curfew on teen gatherings, but is that really the answer tho ? it's like we're just treating symptoms instead of tackling the root cause . and what about all these programs like project sWish that are trying to make a difference, only for stuff like this to happen again ... i just wish we could find a way to bring our communities together & keep our teens safe without having to resort to harsh measures

This city is losing young lives left & right . All these "crime" measures won't solve anything. The thing that's needed here is more support for kids like Armani, who are trying to make a difference . They need resources & mentorship, not stricter rules. We gotta put our money where our mouths are .

This whole thing just feels like a total waste, you know? Like, we're trying to stop violence and prevent these kinds of incidents from happening, but sometimes it still happens anyway . And now Armani's dad is taking heat for trying to make a difference... it's just not fair . I'm all for getting tough on crime, but can't we also try to understand where these kids are coming from? Like, what's going on in Chicago that makes them feel like they gotta resort to violence every time they wanna hang out ? We need to address the root causes of this stuff, not just crack down on punishment. It's all so... cyclical .

man this is just heartbreaking another innocent kid lost to gun violence... like what can we do to stop this?! these anti-violence efforts are a good start but i think we need more than that, like real policy changes and resources for our communities and btw why did it have to be Armani? he was literally changing lives through basketball and after-school programs

I don't buy the "better plan" excuse from Ulysses Floyd Sr. I mean, come on, a kid who's been working to prevent violence gets shot? It's just not adding up. And what about all these programs and initiatives that are supposed to help teens? Like Project sWish, which Armani attended? How effective is it really? Is it just a Band-Aid solution or is it making a real difference? We need more concrete evidence, not just feel-good stories. And those arrests... how many of them are actually linked to the shootings? Can we get more info on that? This whole thing is too much of a mystery for me.

Ugh, another tragic incident ... it's just so senseless. These kids were trying to make a difference and change their community for the better, but violence keeps on disrupting everything. It's like, we know there are ways to deal with tensions and conflicts without resorting to guns and gang activity... but I guess that's not always what the world has in store.

I mean, Armani was part of this after-school program that was all about basketball and positivity... it's heartbreaking that his life had to be cut short like that. And his dad is just so devastated... I get it, we'd want justice too if something like that happened to us. But at the same time, can't we try to find ways to prevent these situations from happening in the first place? It feels like we're constantly reacting rather than taking proactive steps.

And don't even get me started on the whole "teen takeover" thing... it sounds like just another excuse for people to talk trash and make a scene. I know some teens are gonna do whatever they want, but can't we try to find ways to support them in being their best selves? Like, maybe providing more resources or mentorship programs... that's what I'd wanna see change, you know?

This just got my heart heavy ... another young life cut short by senseless violence. I'm so sorry for Armani's fam & friends, they're all in shock right now . It's heartbreaking when we think about the after-school programs like Project sWish that were supposed to give these teens a safe space to grow, and instead, they ended up being targets of violence . We need to keep pushing for solutions that address gun violence & community safety, not just punish those involved in shootings . I'm keeping Armani's memory alive with hope that his passing won't be in vain .

This is so sad ... I mean, I get why people wanna take action against teen gatherings and all but you feel me? It's like, these kids are trying to make a change, wanna help their community, and then they get caught up in some crazy stuff that takes them away from us too soon. It's like, what's the point of having programs like Project sWish if it's just gonna be a waste of time ? And $15k for info leading to an arrest is a pretty low reward, don't you think? Like, this kid was trying to make a difference and now he's gone. It's just not fair . I hope whoever did this gets caught and face the consequences, but we need to do more than that... we need to do better

I'm so sad about this . The stats on teen gun violence in Chicago are just heartbreaking. According to the most recent data from the CDC, 3,647 teens were shot in Illinois last year alone . And it's not just the number of shootings that's alarming, but also the fact that many of these young people are caught up in a cycle of violence that seems impossible to break free from .

I've been looking at some charts on the Chicago Tribune website, and it shows that the Loop area has seen a significant increase in shootings over the past few years . The data also suggests that most of these victims are between 14-24 years old . It's like we're watching a never-ending cycle of violence play out before our eyes.

I don't know what to say, but I do know that we need to keep talking about this and find ways to support our young people in Chicago . The fact that Armani was involved in anti-violence efforts and still fell victim to it is just devastating . I'm sending all my love to his family and friends right now .

I'm so sorry about this young man... it's just not right. I think we need to focus on community programs like Project sWish more than ever now. They actually work, you know? It's not about imposing curfews or anything, it's about giving kids a safe and supportive environment to express themselves and make positive choices. Armani was all about the basketball, but what if he didn't get into basketball? What if he got lost in the system? We need more programs like this that cater to individual interests and help them develop life skills. And what's with the snap curfew idea? Isn't that just going to push kids underground even more? We should be working on prevention, not punishment. The $15k reward is a good start, but we need to do more...

man this is so sad gotta feel for armani's fam and all those other teens who got hurt or charged... i dont think a snap curfew would solve anything tho, what about addressing the root of the problem? its like we keep putting band aids on wounds instead of actually tackling the issue. and whats up with ppl trying to capitalize on these situations by offering rewards for info? it feels so insensitive anyways gotta give props to project sWish and other orgs working hard to prevent gun violence... those kids were just tryin to live their best lives and now they're losin' out to senseless violence