Chicago's Nightlife Districts Are Being Targeted by Rash of Armed Kidnappings and Robberies

Chicago's crime problem continues, this time with nightlife districts and partiers being targeted by armed men who are kidnapping and robbing victims in social hotspots around the city. This is nothing new for the Windy City, where crime is ubiquitous because Mayor Brandon Johnson believes it's 'unholy' to jail criminals, ended the city's ShotSpotter program, and routinely attacks law enforcement. Governor J.B. Pritzker thinks this crime is just part of living in a city.

Armed men who’ve been kidnapping and robbing victims in nightlife areas struck THREE more times early Sunday — once in Wrigleyville and twice in River North.

At least 15 victims since April 5 in those neighborhoods and Boystown.https://t.co/infPS7uTTM
— CWBChicago (@CWBChicago) May 20, 2026

Here's more:

An armed robbery crew that kidnaps victims and drains their bank accounts struck three more times in Chicago nightlife districts on Sunday morning, stretching its weeks-long victim count to at least 15, according to Chicago police. The group remains at large.
Sunday’s robberies began around 2 a.m. in the 3600 block of North Clark Street in Wrigleyville, followed by two incidents in River North, one in the 600 block of North La Salle around 4 a.m. and another in the first block of East Ohio Street around 4:45 a.m., police said.
The crew’s methods are brazen. Police say the robbers approach victims in nightlife areas, take their phones and other property by force or at gunpoint, then use the stolen devices to conduct unauthorized financial transactions. In five incidents, including one on Sunday, victims were “coerced” into the crew’s vehicle and driven around while the group carried out fraudulent banking transactions on their phones, a CPD alert said.
In an initial alert issued last week, police said the pattern began with a robbery in the 100 block of West Ontario Street at 12:35 a.m. on April 5. Since then, police have linked the crew to a string of holdups across the North Side and Near North Side.