Police said gunfire erupted as officers were dispersing a large crowd during several gatherings on Chicago’s South Side.
CHICAGO — One man was killed and 14 other people were wounded when gunfire erupted late Saturday during several gatherings in Washington Park on Chicago’s South Side, police said, marking the city’s largest mass shooting reported so far this year.
The shooting happened about 11:37 p.m. Aug. 29 in the 5400 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue, near the eastern edge of the park. Chicago police officers were already in the area and were attempting to disperse a large crowd when an unknown person or group opened fire. Police initially reported 10 people had been shot, including one fatally, before identifying five additional victims and raising the total to 15.
The man who died was identified by the Cook County medical examiner’s office as Rontonio M. Guterz, 35, of Chicago. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died. Authorities had not announced an arrest or publicly identified a confirmed suspect as of Sunday night. Investigators also had not announced a motive.
The 14 surviving victims ranged in age from 21 to 47, according to updated police information. A 47-year-old woman was hospitalized in serious condition. Four other women, ages 21, 23, 43 and 44, were listed in fair condition. Several other men and women were reported in good condition, while police said the conditions of three victims were not immediately known. The injured were taken to several Chicago hospitals.
Several gatherings were taking place in Washington Park when the shooting occurred. Among them was a reunion involving people who had lived in the former Robert Taylor Homes, the large public housing development that once stood on Chicago’s South Side. Ald. Jeanette Taylor, whose 20th Ward includes the area, said the gathering was intended to give former residents a chance to reconnect.
Taylor told local reporters that the initial gunfire appeared to have come from across the street from the park. Chicago police had not publicly confirmed that account as the final sequence of events. A police report cited by the Chicago Sun-Times said a witness reported seeing two men dressed in black and wearing ski masks fire toward the park before someone at the gathering returned fire. Investigators were still working to determine who fired the shots and how many people were involved.
Police reports cited by the Sun-Times said investigators recovered shell casings from both Cottage Grove Avenue and inside the park, along with a firearm. Emergency radio traffic also indicated that officers detained a person during the response and recovered a weapon, CBS Chicago reported. Authorities had not established publicly that the detained person or recovered weapon was connected to the shooting, and no charges had been announced.
No police officers were wounded. Witnesses described people running as the gunfire began, while officers called for medical help for multiple victims. One woman wounded at the gathering told the Sun-Times that people had been standing in groups and catching up before the shooting suddenly sent attendees fleeing. Police remained at the scene into Sunday as detectives gathered evidence and interviewed witnesses.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called the scale of the violence horrific and said the city would continue efforts aimed at reducing the flow of illegal firearms while providing services to people affected by shootings. Taylor also expressed frustration that violence had disrupted a longtime reunion that brought former Robert Taylor Homes residents together. Officials did not say the reunion itself was the intended target of the shooting.
The revised total made the Washington Park attack Chicago’s largest mass shooting of 2026 by the number of people shot, according to local reports. The incident occurred during a violent weekend in the city in which police responded to several unrelated shootings. Authorities had announced no evidence linking the Washington Park gunfire to those other incidents.
Calumet Area detectives continued investigating Sunday night, and Cook County Crime Stoppers offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest. Police had not publicly identified a suspect, established a motive or announced charges, leaving key questions about the shooting unresolved.
Author note: Last updated August 30, 2026.