Stories by Matt Masterson

As Chicago hits the unofficial start of summer this weekend, city officials have announced a citywide strategy aimed at preventing summer shootings and homicides by focusing resources in historically violent areas on South and West sides.

Two months after the fatal police shootings of 13-year-old Adam Toledo and 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez, the Chicago Police Department unveiled a new policy on foot pursuits it says will better prioritize the safety of officers, the public and those being pursued.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Chicago Police Department relied on “extensive” undercover and covert surveillance operations during the multiyear probe targeting those distributing or attempting to distribute heroin and cocaine across Chicago, authorities said Thursday.

Members of Adam Toledo’s family wiped away tears on what would have been his 14th birthday as they announced a new program for boys to develop skills and values in a rural environment away from city streets.

All elementary and middle school students in Chicago Public Schools will advance to the next grade level, regardless of their academic success during the current academic year, under a new resolution to be considered by the district.

Following one of Chicago’s deadliest weekends of 2021, and with the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder and Memorial Day ahead, police Superintendent David Brown says he plans to continue limiting time off for officers this week.

The alleged shooter, 18-year-old David Contreras, has been charged with four counts of attempted murder, along with single counts of aggravated battery and unlawful use of weapon stemming from the May 14 shooting.

In a video message, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara announced that his union membership spoke “loud in clear” during a general meeting Wednesday in issuing the vote against city leaders.

The Illinois State Board of Education on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution in support of an upcoming declaration that will make it a requirement that schools reopen their doors in the fall, with only limited options for remote learning.

Bernard Barry has been charged with first-degree murder and other gun charges for the fatal shooting of 42-year-old Tyran Evans on Monday afternoon. He was ordered held without bond during a court hearing Wednesday.

One of the weekend’s youngest victims of gun violence, 13-year-old Eric Crawford, who was shot in the head while riding his bike Sunday morning on Chicago’s South Side, has died.

Forty-eight people were shot across Chicago over the weekend, including a 2-year-old girl, a 13-year-old boy and two police officers, as the city continues to outpace last year’s shooting and homicide totals so far in 2021.

Bruce Lua, 45, was ordered held on $10 million bond Tuesday during a hearing following his arrest on charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery of a peace officer and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

The Chicago Police Department has announced changes to its search warrant policy that will go into effect later this month following widespread calls for reform after a botched raid at the home of Anjanette Young in February 2019.

The FBI is offering the reward for information leading to the arrest of Devontay Anderson, who authorities believe has fled the state of Illinois following his alleged involvement in the shooting death of 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams last month.

Chicago Public Schools officials say the district will host dozens of focus groups in the coming months to gather community feedback before making any decision about its next CEO. Current CEO Janice Jackson will be leaving the district when her contract expires at the end of June.

Converted CTA buses will visit 15 Chicago Public Schools to provide COVID-19 vaccines to students over the next three Saturdays, city health officials announced Thursday.

Devontay Anderson has been charged in federal court with fleeing Illinois to avoid prosecution for the killing of 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams outside a West Side McDonald's last month, according to an FBI affidavit.

Stuart Nitzkin, the former head of a suburban nonprofit supporting physically and psychologically challenged children, pleaded guilty to stealing money from the organization and using it to pay for golf, family vacations and tickets to sporting events.

As schools across Illinois welcome back more students for in-person learning, state officials have announced a new investment to increase access to COVID-19 testing “at low or no cost.”

A trio of U.S. Army soldiers in Tennessee have been charged with funneling illegal firearms to Chicago that were found after a mass shooting earlier this year that left one person dead and several others wounded on the city’s Southwest Side.

Anthony Moody, 55, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder stemming from the Sunday death of Robert Webster, and was ordered held on $200,000 bail during a hearing Tuesday afternoon.

A Cook County judge has scheduled a hearing this summer to determine if an attorney that actor Jussie Smollett has hired will be allowed to represent him following allegations of a possible conflict of interest involving that attorney and the two brothers Smollett allegedly hired to carry out a hoax attack.

The district said the investment will support staffing, training and learning resources for International Baccalaureate, STEM/STEAM, fine and performing arts, and dual language programs at seven elementary schools over the next six years.

While the final decision on a new Chicago Public Schools CEO is ultimately up to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, she said she doesn’t want to make that decision behind closed doors.

An internal investigation by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office found a “breakdown of communication” and other issues were responsible for the inadvertent mischaracterization of the Adam Toledo shooting in a hearing last month.