chicagotribune--2020-06-05--George Floyd fallout: As grocery stores and other businesses struggle to reopen, Chicago says it wil

George Floyd fallout: As grocery stores and other businesses struggle to reopen, Chicago says it will start sending ‘emergency alerts’ to them

Grocery stores that closed during the unrest sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis are starting to reopen @ @ @ @ @ with no word on when they might resume operations , raising concerns about food access @ @ @ @ @ limited options .

Police officers guarding the Trump International Hotel & Tower hold back protesters in the Loop on May 30, 2020, during a rally and march to remember the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
For the latest updates, check out this weekend’s live blog here.
For Chicago Police Board President Ghian Foreman said Friday that officers hit him with batons last weekend as they clashed with protesters who marched on the South Side over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
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In a statement Foreman issued Friday afternoon through the Police Board, he said he was not participating in the protest, but “coincidentally encountered the demonstration when it became confrontational.” In a brief interview, Foreman said he was struck five times in his legs with batons while going for a walk.
Meanwhile, the city will shut down a stretch of its iconic Lake Shore Drive through the weekend to help facilitate protesters, in hopes of preventing a repeat of last weekend’s chaotic civil unrest.
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Chicago will also enforce a 9 p.m. curfew and will contract with hundreds of security providers to protect neighborhoods on the South and West Sides, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. And to ensure protesters have space to demonstrate, Lightfoot said Grant Park and Union Park will be open.
Earlier on Friday, Lightfoot said she wanted a Chicago police officer who was photographed giving protesters the middle finger to be fired. Lightfoot also said she wants cops who are hiding their badge numbers to be fired.
“I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it every day, we will not tolerate people who cross the line,” the mayor said at a news conference later in the day.
[ Tribune photographers capture the protests and unrest in Chicago in response to the killing of George Floyd ]
[ Column: I tried to ignore the killings of Black men because it hurt too much. Then came the personal reckoning. ]
[ Get breaking news as it happens with email alerts from the Tribune ]
Here are the latest developments:
8:47 p.m.: Arrests following Aurora unrest: Racially diverse group includes reality TV personality, a married couple, several 20-somethings
A suburban teen with a small history of petty theft set fire to a police vehicle during unrest in Aurora this week in an act of “revenge” against law enforcement, prosecutors say.
Authorities say she has no ties to ANTIFA or the white supremacy groups that some have blamed for the violence and vandalism across the country.
She has no job and lives with her mom in Kendall County, according to court records.
Vianney Huerta, 19, offers a small portrait of the 21 people arrested following the unrest in Aurora last Sunday. It’s a disparate, racially diverse group that includes a former reality TV personality, a married couple and several twentysomethings with no connections to extremist groups on either end of the political spectrum, investigators say.
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Indeed, authorities say those arrested have seemingly few ties to each other except for their alleged roles in overshadowing the nonviolent protests meant to convey the urgent need for racial equality and police accountability across the country.
“They are drowning out the message that needs to be heard, not just by the public, but by those who are in a position to do something about it,” Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said. Read more here. —Megan Jones and Stacy St. Clair
8:35 p.m.: Attorneys for protesters in recorded skirmish with Joliet’s mayor say clients were demonstrating peacefully, disputing mayor’s self-defense claim
Attorneys for two protesters involved in an altercation with the mayor of Joliet that was captured in a viral video say their clients were demonstrating peacefully, disputing the mayor’s claims that he was acting in self-defense.
Fallout from the minutelong recording of the skirmish between the mayor — who is white — and two African American protesters continues to roil the southwest suburb of about 150,000, as the Chicago region and nation grapple with issues of racial justice and use of force in policing. Read more here. —Alicia Fabbre and Angie Leventis Lourgos
8:10 p.m.: Lightfoot rips police officers who ‘cross the line’: ‘Shame on you.’
While praising the “vast majority” of Chicago police officers who she said have done their job well, Mayor Lori Lightfoot ripped city cops who have “crossed the line” by cursing at protesters, using excessive force or hiding their badge numbers.
“I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it every day, we will not tolerate people who cross the line. We will not tolerate excessive force. We will not tolerate profanity and homophobic comments that demean the badge, demean the honor of being a Chicago police officer and demean the value of who we are as Chicagoans,” Lightfoot said at a news conference. “We will not tolerate that. Officers who choose to do those things, or to tape over their badges or to turn off their body-worn cameras, all things that violate very clear directives of the Chicago Police Department.”
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Aiming her comments at the officers who do those things, Lightfoot said the city will find them and strip them of their police powers.
“You are demeaning all of your colleagues who are working their tails off on 12-hour shifts to keep our city safe. Shame on you. Shame on you,” Lightfoot said. “We will not tolerate this and we will take decisive action and not only stripping you as appropriate you will be fired from the Chicago Police Department.”
Firing officers is a complicated process that may not work out as simply as the mayor suggests.
Drawing on her experience as a police reform expert, Lightfoot said the city has “a lot of work to do on the path and a journey towards police reform and accountability.”
“We will not be deterred from making that a reality and certainly not by elements within the police department who believe that they can do what they want when they want whenever they want,” Lightfoot said.
In her comments, Lightfoot also said the city will hold police bosses responsible for their subordinates’ conduct.
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“I want the supervisors out there to understand this is not going to be something that’s going to be borne solely by the line police officers. You have a responsibility as well,” Lightfoot said. “And every single time I see one of these cases, the question I ask is where was the supervision? And we will find out the answer to that question, and if you have failed, then we will take appropriate action.”
She added: “I understand all honest mistakes. But some of the things that we’ve seen aren’t honest mistakes. These are people who do not share our values I will not be part of the Chicago Police Department. I want that message to be loud and clear.”
Earlier in the day, Lightfoot said she wanted a police officer who stuck his middle finger out at a protester to be fired. —Gregory Pratt
6:25 p.m. (updated 7:50 p.m.): City will shut down stretch of Lake Shore Drive through weekend, open Grant Park and Union Park to accommodate protesters downtown
The city of Chicago will shut down a stretch of its iconic Lake Shore Drive through the weekend to help facilitate protesters in hopes of preventing a repeat of last weekend’s chaotic civil unrest over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
Chicago will also enforce a 9 p.m. curfew and will contract with hundreds of security providers to protect neighborhoods on the South and West Sides, Lightfoot said.
More than 300 city trucks will also be used at more than 175 commercial corridors, particularly on the South and West sides, Lightfoot said.
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And to ensure protesters have space to demonstrate, Lightfoot said downtown’s Grant Park and the Near West Side’s Union Park will be open. Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
6:12 p.m.: Chicago’s black-owned businesses face uphill battle to rebuild, even with outpouring of support after George Floyd death
The death of George Floyd has prompted fresh calls to support the black community, but some of its business owners, hit hard by looting on the South and West sides, say the enthusiasm will not be enough to help them get ahead.
Some business owners plan to rebuild, and most support the protests that swept the country after the death of Floyd, a black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police.
But as they survey the damage, doubts emerge as they worry about their own livelihoods and their neighborhoods if the businesses fold.
M&R Prescription Center, in the South Shore neighborhood, was vandalized early last Sunday morning. Intruders broke the window with a rock, and stole drugs off the shelves, she said.
Owner Pamela Jones reopened the pharmacy and medical equipment company, albeit with boarded-up windows, but she’s considering turning down a $25,000 city grant she earlier was awarded to improve the store.
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“You want to be there for the community, but then when the community is not there for you, it’s just very disheartening,” Jones said. “You question yourself. ‘Why am I still here? What’s the purpose?’”
Jones’ concern is shared by many black-owned businesses on the South and West sides. Though community backing has bolstered some, many owners do not count on the increased support for black-owned businesses, or the $10 million Mayor Lori Lightfoot promised to help them rebuild.
“It’s not just that we’re a black-owned business. We’re a business in a black community, and those businesses are scarce,” Jones said. “Each time you destroy one, when and how will your needs be met?” Read more here. —Ally Marotti and Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
6:06 p.m.: Chicago Police Board president says officers hit him with batons at weekend protest: ‘I walked in the middle of an uprising’
Chicago Police Board President Ghian Foreman said Friday that officers hit him with batons last weekend as they clashed with protesters who marched on the South Side over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
In a statement Foreman issued Friday afternoon through the police board, he said he was not participating in the protest over Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, but “coincidentally encountered the demonstration when it became confrontational.”
In a brief interview Friday afternoon, Foreman said he was struck five times in his legs with batons while going for a walk.
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“I walked in the middle of an uprising,” said Foreman, who lives near the site of the protest.
“It was chaos. It was a no-win situation on both sides,” Foreman said of the protesters and police.
In his statement, Foreman said the public’s interest with the incident may stem from his position working toward police accountability “and that it seems ironic that someone in a public-facing position could also become a victim of police aggression.”
“This is the duality I live with as a Black man in America, even one who is privileged to be part of systems of power,” he said in his statement. “I am not exempt from what any other Black man faces on the streets.”
Foreman, appointed to the police board in 2010 by then-Mayor Richard M. Daley, declined to get into specifics about the incident, which is being investigated by the city’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability. But he said it’s important to focus on how aggressive confrontations such as this could be avoided. His statement on Friday comes hours after former federal prosecutor Maggie Hickey, the court-appointed monitor overseeing broad CPD reforms, said she will investigate and report on allegations that officers abused protesters over the last week.
“There is important work to be done,” Foreman said about Chicago police reform in his statement. “If we are to improve police officer training, better educate them on de-escalation techniques and develop a peer support program in the next 90 days as we have been asked to do, we cannot afford to lose focus now.”
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“We cannot allow the momentum of the uprisings to be lost by focusing on micro-incidents, but rather use that energy to demand accountability that we can see and feel,” Foreman continued in the statement. “I encourage my fellow Chicagoans to stay involved — vote, advocate for solutions, demonstrate peacefully, support local businesses, and donate resources.”
Foreman acknowledged that Chicago activist Malcolm London was at the same protest, where London’s lawyers have said he also also assaulted by police and arrested.
Chicago police said Superintendent David Brown and one of his top deputies spoke with Foreman about the matter, according to a statement.
“Since the onset of this week’s events, Superintendent Brown has been clear that misconduct by any officer will not be tolerated,” according to the CPD statement. “If any Officer is found to have participated in excessive force, they will be held accountable.”
Foreman’s allegations are among 344 complaints made against Chicago police officers from May 28 to 7 a.m. Friday, many of them stemming from the protests.
“We’ve seen in roughly a week what we normally would see in a month,” COPA spokesman Ephraim Eaddy said of the volume of complaints the agency has fielded.
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Foreman served as the police board’s vice president under now-Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who served as its president prior to her run for office. Foreman has been the police board president since 2018. —Jeremy Gorner
5:55 p.m. (updated at 7 p.m.): 2 Chicago cops involved in Brickyard Mall incident relieved of police powers
Two Chicago cops have been relieved of their police powers after a woman said officers pulled her from a car by her hair and placed a knee on her neck last weekend.
The action by police Superintendent David Brown came a day after the Civilian Office of Police Accountability recommended the action as it investigates the alleged incident at the Brickyard Mall at 2600 N. Narragansett Ave. on Sunday.
Mia Wright, 25, said she had gone to the mall with family and friends not realizing it had been closed because of looting. While in the parking lot, she said officers surrounded her car, broke the windows with clubs and pulled her to the ground. —Chicago Tribune staff
5:25 p.m.: Second City owner Andrew Alexander to exit after accusations of institutionalized racism
Following a social-media tumult sparked by a series of institutionally accusatory tweets from a former performer and employee, Second City’s owner, Andrew Alexander, told staffers on Friday that he was apologizing for his “many failures as a steward of an important cultural institution” and stepping away from one of Chicago’s most famous and internationally influential theaters.
The exit of Alexander, 76, the accomplished producer of SCTV, a longtime kingmaker and an iconic figure in sketch comedy, came after accusations of institutionalized racism were leveled on Twitter by DeWayne Perkins. In particular, Perkins criticized Second City prior’s reluctance to fundraise for the Black Lives Matter movement without also financially supporting police-related causes. Commenters amplified Perkins’ remarks and extended them to other improv theaters in Chicago. Read more here. —Chris Jones
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3:45 p.m.: Protesters mark what would have been Breonna Taylor’s 27 th birthday with North Side march
Undeterred by the sweltering heat, hundreds of protesters gathered Friday afternoon in front of the Riviera Theatre in the Uptown neighborhood to focus on the importance of Black women, and to call attention to the death of Breonna Taylor.
Taylor was killed on March 13 when Louisville police, executing a search warrant, burst into her apartment, and after a skirmish, shot her at least eight times.
The protest was set for Friday to mark what would have been Taylor’s 27th birthday.
“This day is to let everyone know that she mattered, she still matters and will always matter,” said Ashabi Owagboriaye, the organizer of the protest said.
Around 2:45 p.m., the wave of protesters marched south on Broadway to Irving Park Road, where they held a moment of silence and knelt for eight minutes, symbolizing the number of times Taylor was believed to be shot.
They repeatedly chanted Taylor’s name as they marched through the streets.
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“Say her name! Breonna Taylor!” they yelled.
Dordie Hester, who was one of many carrying a sign commemorating the life of Taylor, said she came to stand up against the “injustices” that black people have endured. —Javonte Anderson
1:51 p.m.: Gov. J.B. Pritzker raises his national profile with rebuke of President Donald Trump over George Floyd fallout
When Gov. J.B. Pritzker sharply denounced President Donald Trump’s rhetoric in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death during a call of the nation’s governors, it not only laid bare the animosity between the two men, it also quickly elevated Pritzker’s stature among national Democrats.
Pritzker’s criticism of the president drew widespread attention and led to appearances by the governor on cable news shows. Since his comments came in an ostensibly closed setting, a White House conference call, questions were raised about Pritzker’s political motivation for speaking up.
What the governor clearly showed is that unlike most of his counterparts, he isn’t afraid to challenge a president known for not letting any slight go unavenged, said David Yepsen, a former director at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
“When I heard him take on Trump like that, I thought first of all that some of these governors are intimidated by Trump,” said Yepsen, former longtime political columnist at the Des Moines Register. “Trump holds purse strings for money that they need. They don’t want to alienate him. But Pritzker came off to me as a guy who gets inside Trump’s head.” Read more here. —Rick Pearson
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1:09 p.m.: Amid coronavirus and ‘recent horrific events,’ DePaul University is giving students a break
Citing the stress and anxiety caused by recent events as well as the coronavirus pandemic, Chicago’s DePaul University has announced it’s providing coursework relief to students.
That includes asking faculty to allow final exams to be optional, to forgo final coursework or allow students to drop classes as late as the last day of classes. Read more here. —Robert McCoppin
12:53 p.m.: Court-appointed monitor will investigate allegations of Chicago police abuse of protesters
The court-appointed monitor overseeing broad reforms to the troubled Chicago Police Department said Friday that she will investigate and report on allegations that officers abused protesters.
Former federal prosecutor Maggie Hickey said that “to promote transparency,” she would get information from community members, police and other city departments. Hickey said she would then prepare a report on officers’ handling of the widespread street demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
The comments came during a Friday conference call hearing and followed a letter sent to Hickey by activist groups including Black Lives Matter: Chicago that demanded an investigation. Both Mayor Lori Lightfoot and representatives of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul voiced support for the inquiry by Hickey, who is overseeing the city’s progress toward fulfilling a wide-ranging court order aimed at changing the way cops treat people.
Hickey did not specifically address activist complaints of protesters being detained without contact with lawyers. The groups had asked her to set up a process for attorneys to communicate with arrested clients. Read more here. —Dan Hinkel
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12:24 p.m.: Minneapolis to ban police chokeholds in wake of George Floyd’s death
Negotiators for the city of Minneapolis have agreed with the state to ban the use of chokeholds by police and to require police to report and intervene anytime they see an unauthorized use of force by another officer.
The moves are part of a stipulation between the city and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, which launched a civil rights investigation this week in response to the death of George Floyd in police custody. The City Council is expected to approve the agreement Friday. Read more here. —Associated Press
11:45 a.m.: City workers and activists paint Black Lives Matter in enormous bright yellow letters on the street leading to the White House
City workers and activists painted the words Black Lives Matter in enormous bright yellow letters on the street leading to the White House, a highly visible sign of the District of Columbia’s embrace of a protest movement that has put it at odds with President Donald Trump.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser tweeted aerial video of the mural shortly after it was completed Friday. The letters and an image of the city's flag stretch across 16th Street for two blocks, ending just before the church where Trump staged a photo-op after federal officers forcibly cleared a peaceful demonstration to make way for the president and his entourage.
“The section of 16th street in front of the White House is now officially ‘Black Lives Matter Plaza,’” Bowser tweeted. A black and white sign was put up to mark the change.
The White House had no comment. Read more here. —Associated Press
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11:26 a.m.: Lightfoot calls for firing of Chicago cop who flipped off protesters, those who hide badge numbers
Mayor Lori Lightfoot wants a Chicago Police officer who was photographed giving protesters the middle finger to be fired, she said at a Friday news conference.
Lightfoot also said she wants police officers who are hiding their badge numbers to be fired.
“It won’t be tolerated,” Lightfoot said. “We’re actively at work identifying the officers responsible for that.”
While acknowledging it’ll ultimately be up to Chicago police Superintendent David Brown, Lightfoot said, “In my view, they forfeited their right to be Chicago police officers.”
Lightfoot made the comment in response to questions about a photo published by Block Club Chicago of an officer raising both of his middle fingers to protesters in Lincoln Park and reports that some officers are hiding their badges.
“I’ve seen the photograph of the officer in uniform giving people the finger. We’ll find that person and, in my view, that person needs to be immediately stripped of their police powers and start the process for firing him,” Lightfoot said. "We will not tolerate that kind of abusive, offensive conduct on the part of police officers. Period.” Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
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11:18 a.m.: President Trump invokes George Floyd’s name in trumpeting jobs report: ‘This is a great day for him. It’s a great day for everybody’
President Donald Trump took a victory lap Friday morning after the government reported surprising job gains for last month, seizing on the data to predict that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic and its economic disruption was in the rear-view mirror.
The unemployment rate dropped to a better-than-expected 13.3%, but that is still on par with what the nation witnessed during the Great Depression.
With the country in upheaval over the death of George Floyd, Trump said that an economic rebound was his answer to racial inequality, saying it “is the greatest thing that can happen for race relations.”
Trump spoke from the Rose Garden hours after the Labor Department said that U.S. employers added 2.5 million workers to their payrolls last month. Economists had been expecting them instead to slash another 8 million jobs amid the ongoing fallout from the response to the pandemic. Read more here. —Associated Press
9:56 a.m.: Lightfoot announces $1 million donation from Jewel-Osco to help damaged businesses
Jewel-Osco will donate $1 million to the city of Chicago’s emergency fund to help businesses that were looted and damaged amid fallout from the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
The grocery store’s officials joined Mayor Lori Lightfoot to make the announcement at a Jewel-Osco on the South Side near 60th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue.
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Lightfoot first announced a $10 million recovery grant fund in a televised speech Tuesday aimed at calming a city rocked by widespread looting. Jewel is the first major donor to be disclosed, and its $1 million is in addition to the city’s $10 million. Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
5:15 a.m.: Man describes being stabbed while trying to stop looting in Naperville. ‘I really don’t like where this world is going to. It’s going to a dark, evil place.’
Jai Taylor held his hand over his gut as he sprinted in search of any police officer who might help save his life.
"I ran down the street to Starbucks with my intestines in my hand,” Taylor said.
The 21-year-old Oswego resident said he was stabbed in the abdomen after yelling at people to stop the vandalism and protecting a teenager who was being goaded to join the melee Monday night in downtown Naperville. Read more here. -- Suzanne Baker
5:15 a.m.: River Forest man facing felony hate crime, assault charges after altercation at grocery store
Felony charges have been filed against a River Forest man accused of racially insulting a young African-American woman, then grabbing and hitting her.
Rob Palley, 61, of River Forest, was charged with a hate crime and aggravated battery, according to prosecutors. Police say the attack occurred around 10 a.m. Wednesday at a Jewel-Osco store at 7525 Lake Street in the west suburb. Read more here. -- Steve Schering
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5 a.m.: Kanye West appears to join march on South Side
It appeared that Kanye West showed up shortly before 8 p.m. to join marchers as they prepared to head down South State Street.
The South Side rapper, with his face mostly covered, emerged after a series of speeches from students and activists. He did not address the crowd and appeared to have left a half hour later as marchers continued north on State.
The Tribune asked organizers for confirmation of West’s appearance, but they just pointed to the surrounding security.
According to CNN, West has made a $2 million donation to support the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor
As the sun set, marchers cheered: “CPD, KKK, how many kids did you kill today?” —Morgan Greene


chicagotribune--2020-06-05--Grocery stores that closed during the George Floyd fallout start to reopen. But food remains elusive

Grocery stores that closed during the George Floyd fallout start to reopen. But food remains elusive in some neighborhoods.

“ The picture looks bleak , but not only will we be able to learn from this , we will @ @ @ @ @ are going to work together like we have been working together to build an even @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ This has elevated a lot folks ’ passion go improve upon the @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Volunteers Janet Kemper, left, Nicole Boisseau and Kristen Schroeder participate in a community cleanup around a Mariano's grocery store in the Bronzeville neighborhood on June 3, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Many grocery stores that shut their doors this week during the fallout from George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis started to open again Thursday with limited hours, hoping the unrest that damaged dozens of neighborhood businesses had quieted.
But some remain closed with no word on when they might resume operations, raising concerns about food access in communities that already had limited options.
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In South Shore, Local Market, which had been boarded up and closed since Sunday, opened with shortened hours Thursday after hearing from residents who said they needed the store to function because they didn’t have food, co-owner Eva Jakubowski said.
Parts of the neighborhood had been designated a food desert by the city before Local Market opened in December on a site that had been vacant since Dominick’s closed six years before.
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A looted and damaged Walmart Neighborhood Market on 47th Street in Chicago on June 1, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Looters tried to break in Monday but the store’s security guards, with reinforcement from police , fended them off before they caused serious damage, Jakubowski said. On Wednesday, close to 500 volunteers gathered to help clean up the store.
“The way the community has stepped up to support their store is something I have never seen before,” Jakubowski said. “So many people are depending on us because they really need us.”
In Englewood, all of the grocery stores and drug stores were closed during the first half of the week, presenting a challenge for seniors on fixed incomes who typically shop for food when their benefits arrive at the first of the month, said Felicia Slaton-Young, executive director of the Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce.
Whole Foods, which wasn’t looted but closed Monday through Wednesday as a precautionary measure, opened Thursday morning. The nearby Aldi, Food for Less, Walmart and Walgreens remained closed.
“The scary thing about not having any stores is that we don’t have any idea how long this will be,” Slaton-Young said. “We are worried it could take months for businesses to assess the damage, pick up the mess, bring their people back as they assess the safety conditions of their employees.”
The disruption is especially worrisome for lower-income neighborhoods that struggle to attract and keep retailers.
“We are concerned that they won’t reopen, and we hope that the city will fight for their return and their desire to remain in the community,” Slaton-Young said.
The exterior of a damaged Walgreens at 86th and Cottage Grove in Chicago on June 3, 2020. The store is currently closed. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Jewel-Osco did not respond to requests for comment about which stores remain closed and when they might reopen. Mariano’s said a few stores sustained minor damage but the only location it closed among its fleet of 44 was in Bronzeville, which is set to reopen Friday morning.
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Aldi declined to give an update on its store closures, saying only that “we are currently focused on the safety of our employees and customers.”
Pete’s Fresh Market experienced “extensive” property damage and looting late Sunday night into Monday morning at its store at Western and Madison avenues, but it opened by 9 a.m. the same day and has been open since, said Vanessa Dremonas.
“We have all been running on fumes due to COVID-19, but we had a community depending on us to serve them,” she said. Dremonas added that the chain has increased security and surveillance to keep customers and employees safe.
All the major stores were closed this week in Chatham, from 75th to 95th Streets and Stony Island to the expressway, said Pattilyn Beals, interim executive director of the Chatham Business Association.
“If you don’t have a car, it’s a bad situation,” she said.
Beals hasn’t heard yet when they might reopen. She worries about them coming back at all.
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“They have the ability to leave if the damage outweighs the prospect of staying,” said Beals, adding the neighborhood still has not filled the void left by Target when it left a few years ago. “That’s a very scary prospect.”
In the meantime, community groups are pulling together to ensure their neighbors get the food and household supplies they need, sometimes employing programs set up to help residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It wasn’t a question of what do we do now, it was who do we call first,” Slaton Young said.
Since late March, Teamwork Englewood has been part of a collective providing food, cleaning supplies and toiletries to some 1,500 families struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic, with donations from philanthropic group Chicago Beyond. Now it is using that system to deliver goods to seniors, said Cecile De Mello, executive director of the nonprofit, which runs numerous programs to improve the economic and social opportunities for residents.
De Mello said she called dozens of senior citizens who said they needed food but didn’t want to go outside, or the stores nearby were closed. Some were able to get their children and grandchildren to pick up food for them, but others don’t have family nearby or there are transportation issues.
Some people are facing challenges she didn’t anticipate, such as the closure of currency exchanges that people rely on to pay rent or bills. But the “No. 1 retail concern,” she said, is Walgreens, where people stock up on food, prescriptions and hygiene products. Walgreens said this week it is still assessing damage to its stores.
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“The Walgreens are very important to families,” said De Mello.
Despite the setback, De Mello said the crisis has brought to the forefront longstanding issues of food insecurity and incited a call to action she hopes results in change.
“The picture looks bleak, but not only will we be able to learn from this, we will become more resilient and we are going to work together like we have been working together to build an even stronger community,” she said. “This has elevated a lot folks’ passion go improve upon the future in a real way.”


chicagotribune--2020-06-05--Mayor Lori Lightfoot denounces vigilantism in Chicago after white men patrol Bridgeport streets with

Mayor Lori Lightfoot denounces vigilantism in Chicago after white men patrol Bridgeport streets with bats

“ We ’ ve seen that end with tragic results across the country and we ’ re not about to @ @ @ @ @ here in Chicago .
If there ’ s an issue , call 911 , ” @ @ @ @ @ absolutely support neighbors being vigilant as to what ’ s going on on the streets @ @ @ @ @ taking up arms , that leads to chaos and we ’ re not supporting vigilantism @ @ @ @ @ under any circumstances .
”

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city will not tolerate vigilantism after groups of mostly white men patrolled the streets of Bridgeport on Wednesday night in response to a nearby city protest.
Multiple streets were blocked in the Bridgeport neighborhood Wednesday night as nearby protests dispersed. Near West Pershing Road, water gushed from an open fire hydrant as small groups gathered on corners. Some of the men held bats. One wore a shirt that said “All Lives Matter,” one sipped a beer and another waved at an officer as he drove by. Additional groups of people, some armed with bats, lined West 31st Street.
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Asked about the situation in Bridgeport, a diversifying neighborhood that served as an Irish American power base for the Daley political family, Lightfoot said, “It is absolutely not appropriate for people to take up arms, bats, pipes, whatever in patrolling neighborhoods.”
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“We’ve seen that end with tragic results across the country and we’re not about to allow that practice to happen here in Chicago. If there’s an issue, call 911,” Lightfoot said. “I absolutely support neighbors being vigilant as to what’s going on on the streets and in their blocks but taking up arms, that leads to chaos and we’re not supporting vigilantism in the city of Chicago under any circumstances.”
The situation in Bridgeport frightened and angered many residents and activists who expressed concerns about racism and violence.
Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, 11th, released a statement calling for calm.
"I support peaceful protests, demonstrations, and people's right to voice their feelings at the murder of George Floyd. We should all be upset! Our country was founded on peaceful protests," wrote Thompson, a grandson and nephew of former Chicago mayors. "The peaceful protests have unfortunately been tarnished and overtaken by outside organizations, whose primary goal is to cause harm to local businesses and neighborhoods. It is those anarchists and terrorists that were creating fear throughout our community."
The “few residents” who carried weapons “were wrong,” Thompson said, and added, “I have not, do not, and will not condone vigilante violence and intimidation.”
gpratt@chicagotribune.com
mgreene@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-05--Alleged racial insult leads to physical altercation outside River Forest grocery store; police inves

Alleged racial insult leads to physical altercation outside River Forest grocery store; police investigating

The man then appears to stop , size up the situation and then attempt to grab the phone of the @ @ @ @ @ then falls to the ground and a scuffle can be heard , while the woman @ @ @ @ @ ’ t touch me ” and “ you don ’ t put your hands on @ @ @ @ @ then apparently kicked and the screen turns white .

After a woman posted a video on social media of what she alleged was a racially-tinged insult that escalated into what River Forest police called a physical altercation, police have a man in custody and are investigating.
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River Forest police said the alleged altercation took place at about 10 a.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of Jewel, 7525 W. Lake St.
The department said its detectives and officers are actively working with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to “investigate and properly charge” the offender in the alleged incident.
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A verbal exchange between a man and a woman began inside the store, police said, and escalated in the store’s parking lot, where the altercation became physical. Police said officers were on the scene “moments” after receiving the 911 calls.
Neither the woman who posted the video to social media nor the man who is thought to be the person filmed in the video immediately responded to requests for comment.
The video, which lasts slightly more than a minute, had more than 190,000 views on Twitter as of Wednesday evening. The initial social media post incorrectly said the Jewel was located in Oak Park, however, the author confirmed it was in neighboring River Forest.
The video begins with the woman who was filming apparently following a man walking through a parking lot who was holding a cup of coffee and wearing a surgical face mask, apparently to comply with COVID-19 rules.
The person filming says in the video that the man called her a “black b----”, among other insults, while in line at a nearby coffee shop, and asks the man “Do you have anything to say for yourself now?” multiple times.
The man then appears to stop, size up the situation and then attempt to grab the phone of the person filming. The phone then falls to the ground and a scuffle can be heard, while the woman filming says “you don’t touch me” and “you don’t put your hands on me.” The phone is then apparently kicked and the screen turns white.
Police said they are “gathering all the facts, reviewing the video, interviewing the parties involved” and are also reaching out to witnesses and store officials.
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River Forest Police Chief James O’Shea said there are “numerous” witnesses and camera footage to review as the case is pieced together.
“[The] victim initially left the scene and subsequently came into the station,” O’Shea said. “[The] man stayed on scene.”
River Forest Village President Cathy Adduci said she has no tolerance for such an incident in her village, and praised officers for the quick response and investigation.
“Any incident connected with hate is wrong,” Adduci said. “I am pleased that River Forest Police Department investigators have given this incident the attention it deserves. I am encouraged that our department reached out to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Felony Review Unit so this incident can be fully investigated and the appropriate charges applied.”
Adduci added she supports all efforts by investigators and prosecutors to hold those who engage in criminal activity that is motivated by hate “fully accountable.”
“We will take proactive steps to discuss the values of River Forest and how community and livability are important to all of us, and how we can live together without biases and hatred,” Adduci said. “This is our everyday obligation to the River Forest community. Otherwise, without this ongoing conversation, we’re not a community at all.”
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In a post on its website, the village of River Forest said it will “not tolerate hate in our community,” and will keep the public informed about the investigation.
“We understand that this is an unfortunate incident that took place in our community when we are all struggling to come to grips with the senseless death of George Floyd and at a time when we are trying to de-escalate tensions,” the statement read.
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-06-05--21-year-old describes being stabbed while trying to stop looting in Naperville. ‘I really don’t like

21-year-old describes being stabbed while trying to stop looting in Naperville. ‘I really don’t like where this world is going to. It’s going to a dark, evil place.’

Because he recently lost his job as a sound engineer because of the COVID-19 pandemic , Taylor said he has @ @ @ @ @ the costs of his hospital bills .
He said doctors estimate he could be hospitalized @ @ @ @

Jai Taylor, who grew up in Naperville, sits alone in a room at Edward Hospital in Naperville on Wednesday, thankful he's alive after he was stabbed Monday while defending a teenager and urging vandals to stop the violence. (Jai Taylor)
Jai Taylor held his hand over his gut as he sprinted in search of any police officer who might help save his life.
"I ran down the street to Starbucks with my intestines in my hand,” Taylor said.
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The 21-year-old Oswego resident said he was stabbed in the abdomen after yelling at people to stop the vandalism and protecting a teenager who was being goaded to join the melee Monday night in downtown Naperville.
Taylor, who grew up in Naperville, recounted the harrowing events from his room at Edward Hospital in a phone interview with the Naperville Sun this week. Police say witness statements and evidence appear to corroborate Taylor’s story.
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Taylor, a 2016 graduate of Naperville North High School, had been visiting his parents’ home in Naperville Monday and as he left to go home to Oswego he heard the protests were continuing.
Curious, he said he parked in the lot near Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House and joined business owners watching the protesters from the sidewalk.
“Then things started popping off,” Taylor said.
Peaceful protests Monday afternoon and evening in the central business district turned violent after the sun went down. People broke storefront windows, looted shops, and threw water bottles and at least one firework at police.
Taylor said he walked through the downtown, observing the vandalism. In the street near the Apple store, he said a man in his 20s was hassling and urging a teenager to vandalize businesses.
Angered by what he saw, Taylor said he went up and pushed the man. “You’re supposed to be setting an example because you’re older,” Taylor said he told the man.
“Then someone grabs me by my shoulder and sticks something in my belly,” Taylor said.
“I looked at him and said, like, ‘You stabbed me,’" and ran toward Naperville police.
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Taylor, who is black, said police initially suspected he injured himself breaking windows or coming out a building after looting it, but he kept pleading that he was innocent.
“I begged the officers; I begged the cops not to kill me, not to let me die,” Taylor said.
Officers treated his wound, and an ambulance arrived about 15 minutes later, Taylor estimated.
“Police said I was unlawfully protesting, which I don’t understand,” he said. “I understand looting is definitely unlawful. Running in vandalizing is unlawful.”
Taylor wants justice for what happened to him, and he said he’s been communicating with police about his assailant.
Naperville police Cmdr. Mike Son said police continue to investigate.
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Emily Staples, of Aurora, said she and her sisters were standing near Anderson’s Bookshop and saw Taylor yelling at people to stop looting and repeating, “It’s about peace; this isn’t what it’s about.”
Then a man produced a blade and stabbed Taylor once and immediately ran away, she said. “It happened literally in a split second,” Staples said.
Staples said she and her sisters ran to alert officers who were walking in the breezeway adjacent to the Apple store. “Then we called 911 just to ensure that there was service coming,” Staples said.
The sisters attended the Aurora protests Sunday night that ended in shattered windows, looting and fire. “It got peaceful to bad in like zero to 60, so we kind of wanted to come here (to Naperville) and prevent that,” Staples said.
Taylor’s mother, Janet Taylor, said she’s not surprised her son would defend a kid who was being bullied.
“We’ve raised our children to do good,” she said. “He was responding the way he was taught.”
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“I was extremely shocked. Not in Naperville, not here,” she said. “We have lived in Naperville for 20 years, and Naperville had been pretty safe.”
Because he recently lost his job as a sound engineer because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taylor said he has no insurance to help defray the costs of his hospital bills. He said doctors estimate he could be hospitalized for a week.
In response, Cate Humbert, of Naperville, set up a GoFundMe account for Taylor that raised more than $17,000 in one day.
“Jai has been a friend, neighbor and classmate of mine since kindergarten, and it was devastating to hear that he was attacked for trying to keep the peace,” Humbert said.
Taylor said he’s had a lot of time to reflect on what occurred Monday in the town where he grew up.
“Watching that whole thing was very heartbreaking, very ugly,” Taylor said. “I felt like the cops were down there to do nothing. The people who were protesting weren’t protesting lawfully. Who was even leading protest?
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“A lot of people are purging and not taking real life into consideration right now. I feel like people are overrun by fear,” Taylor said. “I really don’t like where this world is going to. It’s going to a dark, evil place.”
Taylor said as he was bleeding on the ground in front of Starbucks, he looked up and prayed.
“God wanted me to live,” he said, adding that the person who stabbed him somehow missed damaging any vital organs
“If he moved that blade anywhere else and cut an intestine, I would have had internal bleeding,” Taylor said. “God is good. God is good.”
subaker@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-05--Latinos have the highest COVID-19 infection rate in Illinois. As restrictions ease, community leader

Latinos have the highest COVID-19 infection rate in Illinois. As restrictions ease, community leaders fear things will get even worse.

A spokesman for Pritzker highlighted steps the governor has taken to address the disparate effects of the disease in the @ @ @ @ @ more testing in Latino areas , making translators available at drive-thru testing sites and removal @ @ @ @ @ at Federally Qualified Health Centers that are doing testing .
The governor also has expanded @ @ @ @ @ so COVID-19 care can be provided at no cost to them and has offered free @ @ @ @ @ are isolating or quarantining themselves .

People, many with face masks, line up to purchase tortillas outside El Milagro tortillas on 26th Street in Chicago's Little Village on May 6, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Like so many Mexican immigrants, Melissa Martinez Zepeda’s parents don’t have the privilege of working from home. Both of their workplaces — a warehouse and factory — continued to operate even after the COVID-19 pandemic struck. And, unfortunately, both contracted the disease after dutifully showing up to their jobs.
Their symptoms were mild, and they are OK now, but the turn of events left their daughter with great anxiety.
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“I just kept seeing all the worst-case scenarios in my head,” said Martinez Zepeda, 27, of the Jefferson Park neighborhood. “I did have a little breakdown, and there were so many uncertainties.”
Melissa Martinez Zepeda, of Jefferson Park, says she is anxious about the city and state reopening since both her parents contracted COVID-19 after reporting to work at essential businesses. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Martinez Zepeda still frets about her parents’ health as they return to work. She also worries that other families will face the same anguish she did — or worse — after the city and state recently lifted many stay-at-home restrictions.
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For many in Chicago’s Latino community, the prospect of more people getting out and about sows more anxiety than optimism. Although surges of coronavirus infections have also severely affected other communities, including African Americans, state data indicates that Latinos have a higher infection rate than any other racial or ethnic group in Illinois.
Coronavirus tests taken by Latinos also have come up positive nearly 46% of the time, according to an analysis of data from the Illinois Department of Public Health carried out by the Latino Policy Forum. That is a far higher rate than for the state as a whole, where the positivity rate has dropped below 20%.
“I feel a lot of anxiety about the city reopening just because there’s still so much that we don’t know about this virus," said Martinez Zepeda, a research specialist with the Community Engagement and Health Equity Office at the University of Illinois Cancer Center. "And just from what my family has been through, I’m still very concerned that my parents, their health will continue to be compromised and high risk.”
With similar concerns in mind, a group of Latino elected officials, activists and doctors are calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to take a series of further steps to increase testing, communication and financial support for Latinos during the pandemic.
“I am absolutely concerned about the reopening," said Dr. Pamela Vergara-Rodriguez, who specializes in internal medicine, psychiatry and addiction medicine at the Cook County Health and Hospitals System. "I just don’t see how we can reopen in Chicago if our black and brown communities don’t have the virus under better control.
Medical staff meet before the start of coronavirus testing at the VIDA Wellness Center in Little Village on May 6, 2020. Howard Brown Health/VIDA has been performing COVID-19 tests in Little Village. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Her comments came just days before the city moved to its “cautiously reopening” third phase on Wednesday, a decision Lightfoot kept in place even amid the fallout from George Floyd’s death in Minnesota with a police officer’s knee on his neck. Crowds have assembled for peaceful protests — as well as looting and acts of vandalism — across the Chicago area in recent days, giving rise to concerns about another surge in COVID-19 cases.
“With our move to phase three and our public health team, we’re fully aware of the risk of an uptick and a surge in cases,” Lightfoot said when announcing her decision to proceed. “We have to be cautious and we have to be careful.”
Restaurants, hotels and many other businesses, such as salons and barbershops, started reopening Wednesday with reduced capacities and tight rules in place designed to stop COVID-19 cases from spiking.
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The governor and mayor point to a series of steps they have already taken to address the disparate impact of COVID-19 on Latinos. They include expanded testing, stepped up communication, Medicaid eligibility for undocumented immigrants and hotel lodging for isolation and quarantine.
Members of the Illinois Latino COVID-19 Initiative said they appreciate what has been done but believe the continued high rates of infection among Latinos require an even more robust effort.
Higher rates, younger fatalities
Vergara-Rodriguez is part of the Illinois Latino COVID-19 Initiative, a group working to highlight and address the health inequities that have contributed to the rapid spread of the disease among Latinos. Citing data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the group notes that nearly 1.8% of the state’s Latino residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, a relatively high rate compared with about 1.1% of African Americans, less than 1% for the state as a whole and 0.3% among the white, non-Hispanic population.
The true numbers may be even more alarming, because state data on the ethnicity and race of people being tested is incomplete. If the ethnicity and race of everyone tested were known, the Latino infection rates could be even higher, Initiative members said.
Testing facilities, hospitals and coroners are supposed to report all confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths to the state using a multi-page form that doesn’t always get filled out completely — either because patients are reluctant to share some information, including race and ethnicity, or because medical personnel are too pressed amid their pandemic workloads.
Other statistics indicate that COVID-19 deaths among area Latinos are skewing younger.
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About 29% of Latinos in Cook County who died of the disease as of Wednesday were between 30 to 59 years old, according to data from the medical examiner’s office analyzed by the Tribune; for non-Latinos, the figure was 12%. The median age among Latino COVID-19 deaths was 67, compared with 77 for non-Latino fatalities, the data shows.
State public health data also indicates that Latinos under the age of 60 have been infected at higher rates than other demographic groups — and elderly Latinos at lower rates.
Experts say reasons for these statistics include that many Latinos live in multi-generational households with limited space; many work in so-called essential businesses like factories, meatpacking plants and deep-cleaning services where they have a higher likelihood of being exposed; and many lack the financial wherewithal to isolate themselves as needed.
There’s also a lack of health insurance, particularly among the population living in the country without documentation.
A spokesman for Pritzker highlighted steps the governor has taken to address the disparate effects of the disease in the Latino community. They include more testing in Latino areas, making translators available at drive-thru testing sites and removal of questions about immigration status at Federally Qualified Health Centers that are doing testing. The governor also has expanded Medicaid to cover undocumented immigrants so COVID-19 care can be provided at no cost to them and has offered free hotel lodging to people who are isolating or quarantining themselves.
“The administration is also working alongside the Illinois Attorney General’s Workplace Rights Bureau, the Illinois Department of Labor, and the U.S. Department of Labor to investigate and enforce guidelines that protect the safety and well-being of residents as they return to work,” deputy press secretary Jose Sanchez Molina wrote in an email.
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“The existing disparities highlight decades of institutional inequities and obstacles for our Latino communities, which are now being amplified during this global pandemic in Illinois and across our nation,” Molina wrote. “The administration has placed equity at the core of its public health response to COVID-19 in order to address the specific challenges and needs of the communities who are most vulnerable.”
Medical student volunteers talk before coronavirus testing at the VIDA Wellness Center in Little Village on May 6, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
A spokesman for the Chicago Public Health Department said the city’s data shows a decline over the past month or so in Latino positivity rates in Chicago. In early April, more than 70% of Latinos tested were positive; with far more testing now available, the rate has dropped below 33%, Andrew Buchanan said in an email.
However, that percentage is still double the city’s overall positivity rate of less than 15%, according to data cited during the mayor’s “cautious reopening” announcement.
“The health and well-being of all Chicagoans, regardless of racial and ethnic background or immigration status, is the top priority of the Lightfoot administration during these unsettling times and beyond,” a spokeswoman for Lightfoot said in a statement. She also pointed to efforts at essential worker outreach, virtual town halls held for the Latino community, expanded partnerships with Latino neighborhood organizations and the provision of city-funded hotel rooms for people to isolate and quarantine.
A long road to recovery
Initiative members said further efforts they would like to see include better reporting of race and ethnicity; even more testing, conducted with cultural sensitivity that avoids questions about immigration status; broader contact tracing done by people from the community; and more financial and other resources for Latinos who may not have the independent wherewithal to isolate if they are sick or quarantine if they have been exposed.
“This is the next phase of the crisis, and it’s staring us in the face, and we need to have a comprehensive, proactive plan to address it and deal with it,” said Sylvia Puente, executive director of the Latino Policy Forum, which has been crunching data on behalf of the Initiative.
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“The message isn’t necessarily that we’re not ready to reopen,” added Dr. Marina Del Rios, an emergency room physician at University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago. “But rather, as we reopen, we need to consider the fact that there are communities that are impacted very differently.”
Esther Corpuz, CEO of Alivio Medical Center, which has Pilsen and Berwyn locations, said the positivity rate at her clinics, which serve an overwhelmingly Latino clientele, is running around 45%.
The city and Sean Penn finally reopened the coronavirus testing site at Saucedo in Little Village — and the line’s down the block, as it has been since first opening. Our community is still being hit hard by COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/t8badD22az — Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) June 4, 2020
Corpuz said she’s particularly worried about workers in places like meatpacking plants, where social distancing isn’t always practiced. "The Latino community that is most affected by the COVID are in low-paying jobs, and unfortunately employers are not being — they’re not treating their workforce always in the most respectful way,” she said.
Lakeview resident Edgardo Ramirez, 27, project coordinator at Northwestern University’s Center for Health Equity Transformation, said his father contracted COVID-19 after reporting to work at a Nebraska meatpacking plant and had to be placed on a ventilator for 10 days. Language barriers affected decision-making during his dad’s hospitalization and recovery, Ramirez said. His mother and little sister also became ill.
Now, as parts of Illinois reopen, Ramirez wonders if local officials can guarantee the safety of essential workers and people who can’t work from home or maintain social distance on the job.
Considering the infection trends in the Latino community, he said, he doesn’t believe the city should reopen yet.
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“I understand the need and the urgency, but there’s still consistent and growing cases,” he said. “It’s gonna be a long road to recovery,” especially if people have to go to work right away after being sick.
Vergara-Rodriguez, the Cook County Health doctor, said concern about Latino infection rates should extend well beyond the community itself, given that Latinos provide so many essential services to the rest of the population. Latinos are needed to keep the economy humming, and if the outbreak isn’t under control among Latinos, it could spread among the wider population.
"Many Latinos are doing the most difficult jobs that are highly underpaid, whether they are doing outside labor, construction and gardening, hotel work and restaurant work, general cleaning,” Vergara-Rodriguez said. "They can’t be left behind.”
hdardick@chicagotribune.com
creyes@chicagotribune.com
To submit a complaint about a private employer not following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines in the workplace: osha.gov/workers/file_complaint.html or contact the Illinois attorney general: illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/rights/labor_employ.html
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CDC fact sheet on COVID-19 (Spanish): cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet-sp.pdf


chicagotribune--2020-06-05--Chicago man charged with murder in Cicero shooting

Haygood is accused in the shooting of Jose Gutierrez , 28 , of the 5000 block of North Kenmore Avenue @ @ @ @ @ 7 p.m. Monday in the 2100 block of 50th Street , according to the release @

Zion Haygood, of Chicago, was charged with first-degree murder in the killing of a Chicago resident following unrest in Cicero, according to Cicero police. (Cicero Police Department)
A man was arrested in the killing of a Chicago resident following unrest in Cicero earlier this week, authorities said Thursday.
Zion Haygood, of Chicago, was charged with first-degree murder, according to a news release from the town.
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Haygood is accused in the shooting of Jose Gutierrez, 28, of the 5000 block of North Kenmore Avenue. The killing occurred about 7 p.m. Monday in the 2100 block of 50th Street, according to the release.
Gutierrez was determined “not to be among the outside agitators who instigated the violence in Cicero this past week and was a bystander,” Cicero spokesman Ray Hanania said in the release.
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Gutierrez was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Gutierrez was one of two people shot and killed after unrest that the western suburb blamed on “outside agitators.”
At least 60 people were arrested as the town deployed more than 100 officers in addition to more than 100 sheriff’s officers and state troopers.
Victor M. Cazares Jr., 27, was also shot Monday near West 14th Street and 50th Avenue, according to the news release.
Two other people have been apprehended, but no further information has been released.


chicagotribune--2020-06-05--Call to remove police from Chicago schools

Treja Kelley had been hesitant to come forward after witnessing the murder of her 17-year-old cousin .
But she found @ @ @ @ @ stand last year and helped secure a guilty verdict .
Her testimony , though , @ @ @ @ @ head , prosecutors said .
Just a few months after testifying , Kelley was shot @ @ @ @ @ not far from where her cousin had been slain .
She was 18 and pregnant @

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chicagotribune--2020-06-05--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Schools can resume in-person classes this summer; state expands tes

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Schools can resume in-person classes this summer; state expands testing to all; 116 additional deaths reported

Officials planned to make food , water and masks available in the event near Cicero Avenue in Austin .
The @ @ @ @ @ those hard-hit by unrest following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis , after being @ @ @ @ @ the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths .
—Chicago Tribune staff

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The Fulton Market area of Chicago is no longer the ghost town it was during the depths of the COVID-19 virus pandemic shutdown. As restrictions on restaurants are eased, a worker takes a woman's temperature before she can enter Federales restaurant on Morgan Street on July 1, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Testing for the new coronavirus is now available in Illinois to anyone who wants it — regardless of symptoms — at nearly a dozen state-run testing sites, state public health officials said Thursday.
The availability of on-demand testing was a key component of moving from phase three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan, which began May 29, to phase four, though officials later reframed it as a goal rather than a requirement.
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That news came as Chicago continued the process of gradually reopening, though many businesses remained closed or boarded up. All businesses are subject to reduced capacities and tight rules designed to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Illinois saw 929 new known cases of coronavirus Thursday, and 116 additional deaths. The known statewide case count is now 124,759; the death toll stands at 5,736. All but one county have seen confirmed cases.
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[ When can Illinois move to phase 4? Check our daily charts on where each region stands. ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
9:33 p.m.: New federal data shows how COVID-19 is ripping through understaffed Illinois nursing homes
Newly released federal data shows that COVID-19 has likely infected more than 7,000 nursing home workers in Illinois, with a fourth of homes complaining they are short-staffed and scores saying they’re low on protective gear.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data, released Thursday, shows that nearly 70 Illinois facilities have reported 10 or more deaths of residents from a virus that’s decimated long-term care facilities across the country.
The data, despite some reporting errors, offers a powerful new picture of how the virus has torn through homes’ residents and staff, with one advocacy group, AARP Illinois, saying it confirms the long-held fears of advocates and families that the country was unprepared.
“The people who are the most vulnerable, whether in nursing homes or people working there, were not protected,” said Illinois AARP’s state director, Bob Gallo. Read more here. —Joe Mahr
5:13 p.m.: EPA orders Bensenville pesticide company to stop selling anti-coronavirus products with impermissible claims
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it has ordered a Bensenville pesticide company to stop selling and distributing products that made impermissible claims about their effectiveness against COVID-19.
PureLine Treatment Systems, which markets its products to schools, homes, athletic centers and health care facilities, said some of its products protect against viruses, including the one that causes COVID-19, but did not get approval from the EPA to make those claims, the agency said in a statement.
The company made false or misleading claims on its website that the products could be used to sterilize a facility, when their approved labeling did not indicate they could be used for that purpose, the EPA said.
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Company manager Bob Sullivan said the EPA’s contentions were accurate, and that the company mistakenly believed it was allowed to make the claims. Read more here. —John Keilman
4:28 p.m.: Pritzker says Illinois schools can reopen for in-person summer school classes
Illinois schools, which have been shut down since March, will now allowed to hold summer school in-person, thanks to an executive order issued Thursday afternoon by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
But many area school systems — including Chicago Public Schools — have already announced that summer school will be held through remote learning, so it’s not immediately clear if such districts will change course.
The order states that all Illinois public and nonpublic elementary and high schools can open for “limited in-person educational purposes" once the regular school year ends. —Hannah Leone
2:38 p.m.: 929 new COVID-19 infections and 116 additional deaths
Illinois saw 929 new known cases of coronavirus Thursday, and 116 additional deaths. The known statewide case count is now 124,759; the death toll stands at 5,736. All but one county have seen confirmed cases. —Jamie Munks
1 p.m.: Navy Pier to reopen outdoor areas Wednesday, including restaurants and boat rides
Chicago’s Navy Pier, one of the city’s biggest tourist draws, will begin to reopen next week after 12 weeks of COVID-19-related closure.
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Parks surrounding and on the pier, the main pier walkways, outdoor restaurant spaces, tour boats and some free programs will reopen starting Wednesday, the pier announced in a press release Thursday.
Rides in the central Pier Park and the Chicago Children’s Museum and Chicago Shakespeare Theater will remain closed. Parking in the pier garages, typically costly, will be free during the first phase of the destination’s reopening. Read more here. —Steve Johnson
12:28 p.m: Milwaukee Summerfest canceled for 2020, will resume in 2021
Citing “an abundance of caution,” organizers for Milwaukee Summerfest have decided to cancel the major summer event, originally scheduled for June to early July, then moved to September.
The implications of this for Lollapalooza are unknown. The music festival, which draws more than 400,000 revelers to Chicago’s Grant Park is, as of now, still on schedule for July 30-Aug. 2. Read more here. —Kevin Williams
12:10 p.m.: Illinois expands COVID-19 testing to all and urges those who participated in protests to get tested
Testing for the new coronavirus is now available in Illinois to anyone who wants it — regardless of symptoms — at nearly a dozen state-run testing sites, state public health officials said Thursday.
The availability of on-demand testing was a key component of moving from phase three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan, which began May 29, to phase four, though officials later reframed it as a goal rather than a requirement.
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The expansion of free testing to anyone, without the need to display symptoms or have a referral or doctor’s order, comes as more businesses have opened and as thousands have taken to the streets in recent days to protest the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
The state is encouraging anyone who has participated in mass gatherings to get tested. Read more here. —Dan Petrella and Jamie Munks
9:05 a.m.: 1.9 million seek jobless aid even as reopenings slow layoffs
Nearly 1.9 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, the ninth straight decline since applications spiked in mid-March, a sign that the gradual reopening of businesses has slowed the loss of jobs.
The diminishing pace suggests that the job market meltdown that was triggered by the coronavirus may have bottomed out as more companies call at least some of their former employees back to work.
In Illinois, 46,522 initial claims were filed for the week ended May 30, a decline of 11,741 from the previous week.
The total number of people who are now receiving jobless aid rose only slightly to 21.5 million, suggesting that rehiring is offsetting some of the ongoing layoffs. Read more here. —Associated Press
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7:30 a.m.: Pritzker to visit West Side for local elected officials ‘Day of Action’
Gov. J.B. Pritzker was scheduled to attend a Wednesday afternoon “Day of Action” sponsored by West Side black elected officials in the Austin neighborhood.
Officials planned to make food, water and masks available in the event near Cicero Avenue in Austin. The neighborhood has been one of those hard-hit by unrest following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, after being among the Chicago communities with the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths. —Chicago Tribune staff
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Here are five things that happened Wednesday related to coronavirus in Illinois: