A longtime South Side reunion connected to former residents of Chicago’s demolished Robert Taylor Homes turned tragic Saturday night after gunfire erupted near 54th and Cottage Grove.
THE WORD
- Ten people were shot late Saturday night in Chicago’s Washington Park neighborhood.
- A 35-year-old man was killed and nine other people were wounded.
- The shooting happened around 11:37 p.m. in the 5400 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue.
- The gathering was reportedly the 51st Robert Taylor Picnic, a reunion connected to former residents and families of the Robert Taylor Homes community.
- Chicago police said officers were attempting to disperse a large crowd when gunfire erupted.
- Police have not released a description of the shooter or shooters, and no arrests had been announced as of Sunday morning.
- Video circulating online shows the chaotic aftermath and contains graphic imagery.
A longtime community gathering on Chicago’s South Side ended in tragedy Saturday night after gunfire erupted near Washington Park, leaving one man dead and nine other people injured.
According to FOX 32 Chicago and ABC 7 Chicago, the shooting happened around 11:37 p.m. in the 5400 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue.
Chicago police said officers were already on the scene attempting to disperse a large crowd when someone began shooting. FOX 32 reported that unknown gunmen fired into the crowd, striking multiple people.
A 35-year-old man was shot multiple times and transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he later died. Nine additional victims were also wounded.
According to ABC 7, the surviving victims include a 34-year-old man shot in the shoulder, a 39-year-old man shot in the leg and arm, a 40-year-old woman shot in the shoulder, a 45-year-old woman shot in the leg, a 26-year-old woman shot in the chest and a 42-year-old man shot in the leg. Police also said a 37-year-old woman, a 23-year-old man and another 35-year-old man were wounded.
Several of the victims were reported to be in good condition. The conditions of some of the others were not immediately available. No police officers were injured.
The Gathering Was Reportedly The 51st Robert Taylor Picnic
While early police reports described the scene only as a large gathering, social media posts from people connected to the event identify it as the 51st Robert Taylor Picnic.
The picnic is a reunion connected to people who once lived in or have family ties to Chicago’s former Robert Taylor Homes public housing development. Promotional posts for the 2026 gathering included the words “51st Robert Taylor Picnic 2026” along with hashtags referencing Robert Taylor Homes, unity and the 51st Street community.
The Robert Taylor Homes were once one of the largest public housing developments in the country. According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, the complex opened in 1962 and included 28 high-rise buildings stretching along State Street from roughly 39th to 54th streets. The development housed tens of thousands of residents before the buildings were eventually demolished as part of Chicago’s transformation of public housing.
Although the physical buildings are gone, former residents and their families have continued maintaining ties to the community through reunions and gatherings such as the Robert Taylor Picnic.
One woman who said she attended Saturday’s gathering shared a Facebook post describing the shock of what happened.
“As long as we’ve been having 51st picnics ain’t nothing like this ever happened.”
She wrote that she had been sitting at the gathering shortly before leaving and that members of her family were still there when the shooting happened. She also expressed concern for the victims and their families.
WTW has not independently verified every detail in the social media account, and Chicago police have not said the picnic itself played any role in what caused the shooting.
Video Of The Aftermath Circulates Online
Video from the scene quickly began circulating across Chicago social media pages following the shooting.
Chicago Media Takeout shared footage reportedly showing the aftermath and warned viewers that the video contains graphic and disturbing imagery.
WARNING: The circulating video contains graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised.
The footage captures the chaos following the shooting, but the video alone does not establish who fired the shots or what led up to the gunfire.
Questions Remain
As of Sunday morning, significant questions remained unanswered.
Police had not released a description of the suspected shooter or shooters, identified a motive or announced any arrests. Authorities also had not publicly explained what led to the gunfire.
The shooting remains under investigation by Chicago police detectives.
For a gathering reportedly rooted in reconnecting former neighbors and preserving the bonds created inside one of Chicago’s most recognizable former public housing communities, the violence left attendees stunned.
WTW will continue updating this story as additional information is confirmed.
SOURCES
- FOX 32 Chicago — Chicago mass shooting leaves 1 dead, 9 others injured on South Side
- ABC 7 Chicago — Man killed, 9 others hurt in Washington Park mass shooting
- Facebook — Post from attendee discussing the 51st Picnic
- Chicago Media Takeout — Video reportedly showing aftermath of the shooting
- Encyclopedia of Chicago — Robert Taylor Homes history
