Three months after what is believed to be the worst mass shooting in Chicago history occurred outside a River North club, no arrests have been made. Cook County Crime Stoppers is hoping to change that by offering a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information that helps solve the case.
Just after 11 p.m. on July 2, 18 people were shot, four fatally, in a drive-by shooting that targeted a crowd gathered outside Artis Lounge, 311 West Chicago Avenue, following a BYOB record release party by rap artist Mello Buckzz. Shell casings from three different calibers were found at the scene, indicating that at least three people were likely firing, according to an internal CPD bulletin obtained by CWBChicago.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the slain victims as Leon Henry, 25; Aviance King, 27; Taylor Walker, 26; and Devonte Williamson, 23.
In its reward bulletin, Crime Stoppers said it will pay up to $10,000 for information leading to the indictment or arrest of whoever’s responsible for the shooting.
Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-535-STOP or emailing TIPS@cookcountycrimestoppers.org. Anonymous tipsters receive a code number to claim the reward if their information proves valuable.
Mello Buckzz said on social media that one of the slain men was her boyfriend, writing, “I don’t wish this typa pain on nobody… dam my fucking crew…. I’m so so sooo sorry.”
Elsewhere on social media, though, her Facebook page openly referenced a street gang faction known as No Limit Muskegon Boys. The internal Chicago police document said investigators believed the motive was “possibly gang related.”
CPD Supt. Larry Snelling issued a summary closure notice within hours of the shooting, and the owners of Artis Lounge announced within days that they would not reopen.
The business had opened just a few weeks before the shooting, with its owners promoting it as a “safe space” and “proudly Black-, Brown-, Queer-, and Women-owned.” In a statement posted on Instagram, lounge management said “an act of violence occurred within the vicinity of our restaurant — and it shook us deeply.”
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