A festive night in Chicago turned chaotic when two separate shootings occurred shortly after the city's official Christmas tree lightning.
One person was killed and eight others were injured as panicked crowds tried to escape the area known as The Loop.
The first shooting occurred around 9:50 pm near State and Randolph streets close to the Chicago Theatre.
"Seven teens, aged 13 to 17, were hit and rushed to Stroger and Lurie Children's hospitals in fair to good condition," reported MailUK.
About 30 minutes after the first shooting, a second incident occurred near Adams and Dearborn.
Police found two more victims there including an 18-year-old man shot in the leg and another person who later died from the injuries at Northwestern Hospital.
Several police officers were attacked with mace and stun guns, with at least one hospitalized, and one victim suffered a life-threatening torso injury.
The shootings happened on one of the busiest nights of the year, as thousands of people gathered at Millennium Park for the Christmas tree lighting and the opening of Christkindlmarket.
So far, police have not determined a motive for the attacks and no one has been arrested.
