As hundreds of young people congregated in the Loop last week, a 14-year-old was killed and eight other teens were wounded by gunfire, reigniting debate about how to handle such gatherings of teenagers in Chicago.
The meetups, known as “teen trends” or, when they go awry, “teen takeovers,” have sometimes led to violence and prompted questions about curfews, how to provide alternatives for teenagers and the role of parents.
The shooting was the latest of these kinds of gatherings to turn chaotic. In March, a 15-year-old was grazed by gunfire in Streeterville. The get-togethers aren’t unique to Chicago — they’ve also happened in San Antonio and Denver.
Most gatherings are peaceful, but race is often cited as a factor in the negative perception of the events, even before they turn violent. The groups often include Black and Brown kids who say they don’t have safe spaces to gather in their communities, raising other questions about investment and the needs of teens.
How do these gatherings come together, and why are they popular among teens?
Young people have been organizing meetups in the Loop for years because they feel there isn’t much to do in their neighborhoods. Someone creates a flyer with a time and place and shares it on social media, where it can spread like wildfire.
Teens have said they are drawn to these events because they can connect with their peers without spending money or worrying about their safety in their communities.
Vondale Singleton, who heads CHAMPS, a youth mentorship organization, said these meetups aren’t intended to cause violence and don’t promote it. They can go wrong because they don’t have structure, leaving teens with nothing to do in busy areas, which may lead to conflict.
“That’s not usually the intent,” Singleton said. “But the gap is when it’s not structured.”
Places where teens can get together can be hard to find.
In 2023, an analysis by WBEZ found places that might be suitable for teens — like skating rinks, bowling alleys and arcades — were concentrated around downtown. Some neighborhoods had none.
“People just want to go hang out,” a 19-year-old named Quan told WBEZ in 2023. “We’re just trying to have fun.”
How have public officials responded to these gatherings, and what do teens think about their ideas?
When these meetups turn chaotic, public officials have usually tried to keep young people from being out downtown by themselves.
After the shooting on Nov. 21 , Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) said his unsuccessful proposal for a “snap” curfew — which would have allowed Chicago police to declare a curfew with only 30 minutes’ notice — could have made a difference. Hopkins said he plans to reintroduce the measure, which was approved by the City Council in June but vetoed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, by the end of the year. Johnson has said a curfew with little heads up would lead to over-policing of teenagers.
In 2022, then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot moved up the city’s weekend curfew from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m. after crowds of young people gathered in the Loop and a 16-year-old boy was fatally shot near “The Bean” in Millennium Park. Lightfoot also banned minors from the park on weekend evenings unless they were with an adult.
These measures have caused some teens to say they feel unwelcome in their own city.
“There’s no point for all that if it’s just for adults to go to,” Kyran Quiroga, who was 17 at the time, told the Sun-Times last year. “It shouldn’t be like that.”
What alternatives to teen gatherings downtown are being recommended?
Singleton, of CHAMPS, stressed the need for structured teen events. His organization holds gatherings in different neighborhoods every week, he said. These vary from trips to museums and playing paintball to simple hangouts with a DJ.
But he said it’s important that these events go hand-in-hand with increased investment toward spaces for kids in their own communities. He said curfews won’t solve that problem.
“Curfews might disperse crowds for a night, but they don’t build belonging, skill building, leadership or hope,” Singleton said.
BUILD Chicago, a youth development and violence prevention organization, frequently hosts events, such as late-night basketball games, to provide teens with safe spaces, said the group’s interim CEO, Bradly Johnson.
He said there are scores of other organizations doing similar work, but they need more funding to be most effective and broaden their reach.
“All these things already exist,” Johnson said. “So invest in them.”
How should parents talk with teens about this trend?
Johnson, of BUILD, said parents should speak to their children about the potential risks of these gatherings. And they should familiarize themselves with local organizations that offer weekend activities to let teens know about alternatives to downtown meetups.
Parents of teens who are out of school can get to know groups that help with job placement, he said.
But Johnson added that parents often need support, too.
“Sometimes they’re at work and their teen is going out,” he said. That’s why he’s opposed to penalizing parents with a fine if their child gets in trouble at one of these gatherings.
“That just, I think, will cause more problems in the long haul,” Johnson said.