Stories by Matt Masterson

The Chicago Police Department released surveillance footage showing the moments before 59-year-old Rae Park was shot and killed by a male suspect at around 7 a.m. Wednesday in the 2600 block of West Catalpa Avenue.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a statement Wednesday night saying the city had dropped its lawsuit at her discretion following an increase in compliance among Chicago police officers with the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Mauricio Ramirez, previously accused of sexually assaulting an underage lifeguard, has been arrested for a second time in just over a month after media coverage of his initial case led a second victim to come forward, prosecutors said.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed its 1,000th homicide of the year over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, though that total has since grown to at least 1,009, per county officials.

Under the pilot, an unvaccinated student who is exposed to COVID-19 would be allowed to stay in school if they agree to testing on the first, third, fifth and seventh day after their exposure.

Jussie Smollett faces six counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly making false reports to multiple different Chicago police officers about being the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in 2019.

Jury selection begins Monday as the former "Empire" star will stand trial on charges of disorderly conduct after he allegedly filed a false police report claiming to be the victim of a January 2019 attack by two men near his Streeterville apartment.

Felton Williams was on parole following a previous aggravated battery against a peace officer when he allegedly fired a gun at Chicago police officers during a foot pursuit Sunday evening.

The Chicago Police Department has issued missing persons alerts for 15-year-olds Sujeily Zepeda and Izebella DeLeon, who were last seen Friday outside Amundsen High School, where both are students.

A 14-year-old boy was among the seven people killed across Chicago over the weekend, according to Chicago police.

"The behavior uncovered revealed a stunning betrayal of trust and colossal failure of judgment in character on the part of far too many individuals," CPS CEO Pedro Martinez told media during a press conference Friday morning.

Beginning June 1, 2022, juror pay — which has not increased for decades — will increase from $14.50 per day to $30 per day, while travel stipends will increase from $2.70 per day to $5 per day.

“I know this is a complicated fact pattern,” Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said, “but in looking at the facts as alleged by the state, it’s as if these two defendants tried to copy every armed robbery movie out there, right down to the double cross.”

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez on Wednesday said his team is beginning to set up plans and solidify a specific health metric that can be used to decide when to shut down in-person learning within a school or across the district itself.

A day after he announced his intention to leave the department, John Catanzara — the first-term president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 — posted a picture of his personnel action request on his Facebook page, which shows that he has indeed retired from the CPD.

The stunning announcement comes after John Catanzara, the head of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, spent hours testifying at his own termination hearing Monday.

According to Chicago Police Department data, 21 people were shot in 18 shooting incidents over the weekend in the city.

The decision to recommend a suspension for slain officer Ella French was the “height of tone-deafness,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Friday, after a police watchdog agency issued disciplinary recommendations for those involved in the 2019 raid at Anjanette Young’s home.

Isaiah Hudson, 24, appeared in court Thursday following his arrest on charges of first-degree murder, unlawful use of weapon and armed habitual criminal stemming from the fatal Sept. 1 shooting.

In a joint letter, UChicago President Paul Alivisatos and Provost Ka Yee C. Lee said they’ve spoken with city leaders about formalizing “a number of short and longer-term public safety strategies specifically” for Hyde Park and its surrounding communities.

While the COVID-19 vaccine has now been approved for younger children, Chicago could find itself in the midst of another coronavirus surge this winter if families wait too long to get their children vaccinated, the city’s top doctor said Tuesday.

The victims included a 16-year-old boy who was killed in Garfield Park on Saturday afternoon and a 36-year-old man who was fatally shot following a confrontation as he tried to park his car in his garage in Belmont Cragin.

Jacqueline Villasenor was charged with a single count of involuntary manslaughter stemming from the death Tuesday of her husband and fellow Chicago Police Department officer, 44-year-old German Villasenor.

Classes for Chicago Public Schools students will be canceled Friday, Nov. 12 to allow families an opportunity to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19, now that the vaccine has been approved for kids ages 5 to 11.

“Today is a step towards righting the wrongs of the past and giving these individuals their names back,” Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx said.

Niquita Booker, 27, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder following the fatal shooting Sunday of 22-year-old Kailah Bledsoe in the Gresham neighborhood.